Comment on "Critical properties of highly frustrated pyrochlore antiferromagnets"

TL;DR

This paper critically re-examines previous Monte Carlo analyses of the Heisenberg pyrochlore antiferromagnet, suggesting that the transition might be first order rather than belonging to a new universality class.

Contribution

It provides a re-analysis of earlier data, challenging the conclusion of a new universality class and proposing the transition could be first order.

Findings

Asymptotic volume dependence in thermodynamic quantities

Potential first-order transition indicated by data re-analysis

Challenges previous claims of a new universality class

Abstract

We argue that the analysis of Reimers {\it et al.} [ Phys. Rev. B {\bf 45}, 7295 (1992)] of their Monte Carlo data on the Heisenberg pyrochlore antiferromagnet, which suggests a new universality class, is not conclusive. By re-analysis of their data, we demonstrate asymptotic volume dependence in some thermodynamic quantities, which suggests the possibility that the transition may be first order.