Competing Order Parameters in Quenched Random Alloys: <span class="aps-inline-formula"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><mrow><msub><mrow><mi mathvariant="normal">Fe</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>1</mn><mo>−</mo><mi>x</mi></mrow></msub></mrow><mrow><msub><mrow><mi mathvariant="normal">Co</mi></mrow><mrow><mi>x</mi></mrow></msub></mrow><mrow><msub><mrow><mi mathvariant="normal">Cl</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msub></mrow></math></span>

Po-zen Wong; P. M. Horn; R. J. Birgeneau; C. R. Safinya; G. Shirane

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.45.1974

Competing Order Parameters in Quenched Random Alloys: ${Fe}_{1 - x} {Co}_{x} {Cl}_{2}$

Po-zen Wong, P. M. Horn, R. J. Birgeneau, C. R. Safinya, and G. Shirane

Phys. Rev. Lett. 45, 1974 – Published 15 December 1980

Abstract

A study is reported of the magnetic properties of the random alloy ${Fe}_{1 - x} {Co}_{x} {Cl}_{2}$ , which represents an archetypal example of a system with competing orthogonal spin anisotropies. Behavior similar to previous experiments and theoretical predictions is found, but with important qualitative and quantitative differences; in particular the phase transition in one variable is drastically altered by the existence of long-range order in the other variable. It is hypothesized that this is due to microscopic random-field effects.