Random layered frustration models

Abstract

We study inhomogeneous two-dimensional Ising models with a random distribution of ferro- and antiferromagnetic couplings,K _ij =±K, or equivalently a random distribution of frustrations. In particular, we considerRandom Layered Frustration models (RLF) where randomness is confined to the vertical direction. These RLF-models are solved exactly, i.e., partition function and free energy are obtained in closed form for an arbitrary random distribution of finite period. The phase transition is of Ising type. A simple formula for the transition temperature is derived which depends only on the mean coupling$\overline {K_{ij} }$, but not on other details of the distribution. Both cases,T _c =0 andT _c ≠0, are possible. Groundstate energy and groundstate degeneracy, or equivalently the rest entropy, are determined. It is found that both the occurence or absence of a phase transition may be accompanied with vanishing or nonvanishing rest entropy. We also show that for the RLF-models a phase transition is excluded when all groundstates are connected with one another by local transformations which presumably holds generally. A remarkable result is that the transition of the ferromagnetic Ising model can be destroyed completely if one replaces an arbitrarily small fraction of ferromagnetic couplings by antiferromagnetic ones in a suitable way.