The frustrated Ising model on the body-centered cubic lattice

TL;DR

This study investigates the frustrated Ising model on the bcc lattice, revealing that despite strong frustration signatures, it exhibits only continuous phase transitions without spin-liquid phases, contrasting previous expectations.

Contribution

The paper applies a cluster mean-field approach to clarify the thermodynamics and phase transitions of the frustrated Ising model on the bcc lattice, challenging prior claims of spin-liquid behavior.

Findings

No Schottky anomaly observed

Absence of residual entropy in thermodynamics

Only continuous phase transitions found

Abstract

Recent results for the Ising model with first ($J_1$) and second ($J_2$) neighbour interactions on the body-centered cubic (bcc) lattice suggest that this model can host signatures of strong frustration, including Schottky anomalies and residual entropy, as well as, a spin-liquid-like phase [E. Jur\v{c}i\v{s}inov\'a and M. Jur\v{c}i\v{s}in, Phys. Rev. B, 101 214443 (2020)]. Motivated by these findings, we investigate phase transitions and thermodynamics of this model using a cluster mean-field approach. In this lattice, tuning $g=J_2/J_1$ leads to a ground-state transition between antiferromagnetic (AF) and superantiferromagnetic (SAF) phases at the frustration maximum $g=2/3$. Although the ordering temperature is reduced as $g \to 2/3$, our findings suggest the absence of any Schottky anomaly and residual entropy, in good agreement with Monte Carlo simulations. We also find a direct transition between AF and SAF phases, ruling out the presence of the spin-liquid-like state. Furthermore, the cluster mean-field outcomes support a scenario with only continuous phase transitions between the paramagnetic state and the low-temperature long-range orders. Therefore, our results indicate the absence of strong frustration effects in the thermodynamics and in the nature of phase transitions, which can be ascribed to the higher dimensionality of the bcc lattice.