Phases and Phase Transitions in Quantum Ferromagnets

Abstract

In this dissertation we study the phases and phase transition properties of

quantum ferromagnets and related magnetic materials. We first investigate the effects of an external magnetic field on the Goldstone mode of a helical magnet, such as MnSi. The field introduces a qualitatively new term into the dispersion relation of the Goldstone mode, which in turn changes the temperature dependences of the contributions of the Goldstone mode to thermodynamic and transport properties. We then study how the phase transition properties of quantum ferromagnets evolve with increasing quenched disorder. We find that there are three distinct regimes for different amounts of disorder. When the disorder is small enough, the quantum ferromagnetic phase transitions is generically of first order. If the disorder is in an intermediate region, the ferromagnetic phase transition is of second order and effectively characterized by mean-field critical exponents. If the disorder is strong enough the ferromagnetic phase transitions are continuous and are characterized by non-mean-field critical exponents.