Phase transition between quantum and classical regimes for the escape rate of a biaxial spin system

Abstract

Employing the method of mapping the spin problem onto a particle one, we have derived the particle Hamiltonian for a biaxial spin system with a transverse or longitudinal magnetic field. Using the Hamiltonian and introducing the parameter $p (\equiv (U_{max}-E)/(U_{max}-U_{min}))$ where $U_{max}$ (U_{min}) corresponds to the top (bottom) of the potential and $E$ is the energy of the particle, we have studied the first- or second-order transition around the crossover temperature between thermal and quantum regimes for the escape rate, depending on the anisotropy constant and the external magnetic field. It is shown that the phase boundary separating the first- and second-order transition and its crossover temperature are greatly influenced by the transverse anisotropy constant as well as the transverse or longitudinal magnetic field.