Ising model and Hamilton function

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the Ising model and its effective Hamiltonian, focusing on the nature of energy interactions between spins in a ferromagnetic system. Participants explore the definitions of potential and kinetic energy within this context, as well as the implications of negative energy values.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant states that the Hamiltonian in the Ising model is defined by the interaction between spins, leading to energy values of either ##J## or ##-J## depending on the alignment of the spins.
  • Another participant asserts that the energy discussed is potential energy arising from spin-spin interactions, questioning the implications of negative energy values.
  • A different participant raises a concern about the absence of kinetic energy in the Ising model and the terminology used to describe the energy, suggesting that it is not commonly referred to as potential energy.
  • Further mathematical expressions are provided to illustrate the interaction energy and the role of the exchange integral, with calculations showing how the energy can be expressed in terms of spin states.
  • Another participant reiterates the absence of kinetic energy due to fixed particle positions and suggests that the term "interaction energy" is more appropriate than "potential energy" in this context.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the terminology used to describe energy in the Ising model, particularly regarding the classification of interaction energy as potential energy. There is no consensus on whether the energy should be referred to as potential energy or interaction energy, and the discussion remains unresolved regarding the implications of negative energy values.

Contextual Notes

The discussion highlights limitations in definitions and conventions used in the context of the Ising model, particularly concerning the absence of kinetic energy and the classification of energy types. The mathematical expressions provided may also depend on specific assumptions about spin states and interactions.

LagrangeEuler
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In case of Ising model we are working with effective Hamiltonian. So let's look to spins which interact. In a case of feromagnet energy function is defined by
## H=-JS_1S_2 ##
We have two possibilities. ##S_1## and ##S_2## has different values. And ##S_1## and ##S_2## has the same value. In first case
## H=-J \cdot 1 \cdot (-1)=J ##
and in the second case
## H=-J \cdot 1 \cdot 1=-J ##
Because ##-J<J## spins like in this case to have parallel orientation. It is clear for me and easy to understand. However I have problem with form of Hamiltonian. Is this Hamiltonian potential or kinetial energy? How energy could be negative ##-J##?
 
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It is potential energy from spin-spin interaction. What is the problem with having a negative energy?
 
And why we do not have kinetic energy? It is not a problem. But I never saw that someone calls this energy potential. Why we do not call it potential energy for Ising spin system?
 
Spin satisfies
\begin{align}
\mathbf{S}_1 \cdot \mathbf{S}_2 &= \frac{1}{2}(\mathbf{S}^2 - \mathbf{S}_1^2 - \mathbf{S}_2^2 ) \\
&= \frac{1}{2}[S(S+1) - S_1(S_1 + 1) - S_2(S_2 + 1)].
\end{align}
If the total spin is ##\frac{1}{2} - \frac{1}{2} = 0## then
\begin{align}
\mathbf{S}_1 \cdot \mathbf{S}_2 &= \frac{1}{2}[0 - \frac{1}{2}(\frac{1}{2} + 1) - \frac{1}{2}(\frac{1}{2} + 1)] \\
&= (1/2)(-(3/4) - (3/4)) \\
&= (1/2)(-6/4) \\
&= - 3/4
\end{align}
If the total spin is ##\frac{1}{2} + \frac{1}{2} = 1## then
\begin{align}
\mathbf{S}_1 \cdot \mathbf{S}_2 &= \frac{1}{2}[2 - \frac{1}{2}(\frac{1}{2} + 1) - \frac{1}{2}(\frac{1}{2} + 1)] \\
&= \frac{1}{2}(2 - 3/4 - 3/4) \\
&= (1/2)(2/4) \\
&= 1/4
\end{align}

Treating the potential ##U = U(\mathbf{r}_1 - \mathbf{r}_2)## as a perturbation, the average interaction energy is
\begin{align*}
<U> &= \int dV_1 dV_2 \psi^* U \psi \\
&= \int dV_1 dV_2 \frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}[\psi_1^*(\mathbf{r}_1) \psi_2^* (\mathbf{r}_2) \pm \psi_2^*(\mathbf{r}_1) \psi_1^*(\mathbf{r}_2)]U\frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}[\psi_1(\mathbf{r}_1) \psi_2 (\mathbf{r}_2) \pm \psi_2(\mathbf{r}_1) \psi_1(\mathbf{r}_2)] \\
&= \int dV_1 dV_2 \frac{1}{2}[\psi_1^*(\mathbf{r}_1) \psi_2^* (\mathbf{r}_2) \pm \psi_2^*(\mathbf{r}_1) \psi_1^*(\mathbf{r}_2)]U[\psi_1(\mathbf{r}_1) \psi_2 (\mathbf{r}_2) \pm \psi_2(\mathbf{r}_1) \psi_1(\mathbf{r}_2)] \\
&= \int dV_1 dV_2 \frac{1}{2} \{ [U\psi_1^*(\mathbf{r}_1) \psi_2^* (\mathbf{r}_2)\psi_1(\mathbf{r}_1) \psi_2 (\mathbf{r}_2) + U \psi_2^*(\mathbf{r}_1) \psi_1^*(\mathbf{r}_2)\psi_2(\mathbf{r}_1) \psi_1(\mathbf{r}_2) ] \\
& \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \pm [U \psi_1^*(\mathbf{r}_1) \psi_2^* (\mathbf{r}_2) \psi_2(\mathbf{r}_1) \psi_1(\mathbf{r}_2) + U \psi_2^*(\mathbf{r}_1) \psi_1^*(\mathbf{r}_2)\psi_1(\mathbf{r}_1) \psi_2 (\mathbf{r}_2) ] \} \\
&= \frac{1}{2} \{ \int dV_1 dV_2 U\psi_1^*(\mathbf{r}_1) \psi_2^* (\mathbf{r}_2)\psi_1(\mathbf{r}_1) \psi_2 (\mathbf{r}_2) + \int dV_1 dV_2 U \psi_2^*(\mathbf{r}_1) \psi_1^*(\mathbf{r}_2)\psi_2(\mathbf{r}_1) \psi_1(\mathbf{r}_2) ] \\
& \ \ \ \pm [ \int dV_1 dV_2 U \psi_1^*(\mathbf{r}_1) \psi_2^* (\mathbf{r}_2) \psi_2(\mathbf{r}_1) \psi_1(\mathbf{r}_2) + \int dV_1 dV_2 U \psi_2^*(\mathbf{r}_1) \psi_1^*(\mathbf{r}_2)\psi_1(\mathbf{r}_1) \psi_2 (\mathbf{r}_2) ] \} \\
&= \frac{1}{2} \{ \int dV_1 dV_2 U\psi_1^*(\mathbf{r}_1) \psi_2^* (\mathbf{r}_2)\psi_1(\mathbf{r}_1) \psi_2 (\mathbf{r}_2) + \int dV_2 dV_1 U \psi_2^*(\mathbf{r}_2) \psi_1^*(\mathbf{r}_1)\psi_2(\mathbf{r}_2) \psi_1(\mathbf{r}_1) ] \\
& \ \ \ \pm [ \int dV_1 dV_2 U \psi_1^*(\mathbf{r}_1) \psi_2^* (\mathbf{r}_2) \psi_2(\mathbf{r}_1) \psi_1(\mathbf{r}_2) + \int dV_2 dV_1 U \psi_2^*(\mathbf{r}_2) \psi_1^*(\mathbf{r}_1)\psi_1(\mathbf{r}_2) \psi_2 (\mathbf{r}_1) ] \} \\
&= \int dV_1 dV_2 U\psi_1^*(\mathbf{r}_1) \psi_2^* (\mathbf{r}_2)\psi_1(\mathbf{r}_1) \psi_2 (\mathbf{r}_2) \pm \int dV_1 dV_2 U \psi_1^*(\mathbf{r}_1) \psi_2^* (\mathbf{r}_2) \psi_2(\mathbf{r}_1) \psi_1(\mathbf{r}_2)
\end{align*}
so that ##<U> = A \pm J##, where the ##\textit{exchange integral}##
$$ \pm J = \pm \int dV_1 dV_2 U \psi_1^*(\mathbf{r}_1) \psi_2^* (\mathbf{r}_2) \psi_2(\mathbf{r}_1) \psi_1(\mathbf{r}_2)$$
depends on the spin and so can be characterized, using ##1 = 4 \mathbf{S}_1 \cdot \mathbf{S}_2##, spin 1, and ##- 3 = 4 \mathbf{S}_1 \cdot \mathbf{S}_2##, spin 0, we can express, in terms of the spin, using ##1 = 4 \mathbf{S}_1 \cdot \mathbf{S}_2## to find ## - J## via
$$-J = - J \frac{1}{2}(1 + 1) = -J\frac{1}{2}(1 + 4 \mathbf{S}_1 \cdot \mathbf{S}_2)$$
or using ##- 3 = 4 \mathbf{S}_1 \cdot \mathbf{S}_2## to find ##+J## via
$$J = - J \frac{1}{2}(1 - 3) = - J \frac{1}{2}(1 + 4 \mathbf{S}_1 \cdot \mathbf{S}_2)$$
implying that the ##\textit{spin exchange operator}## is
$$\hat{V}_{ex} = - \frac{1}{2}J(1 +4 \mathbf{S}_1 \cdot \mathbf{S}_2).$$
In general,
$$\hat{V}_{ex} = - \frac{1}{2}\sum_{i<j} J_{ij}(1 + 4 \mathbf{S}_i \cdot \mathbf{S}_j) = - \sum_{i<j} J_{ij}(\frac{1}{2} + 2 \mathbf{S}_i \cdot \mathbf{S}_j) = - \sum_{i,j} J_{ij}(\frac{1}{4} + \mathbf{S}_i \cdot \mathbf{S}_j).$$

The Ising model considers the partition function
\begin{align}
Z' &= \sum e^{-H/T} = \sum_{\mathbf{S}} e^{-\beta (- \sum_{i,j} J_{ij}(\frac{1}{4} - \mathbf{S}_i \cdot \mathbf{S}_j)} = \sum_{\mathbf{S}} e^{\beta \sum_{i,j} J_{ij}\frac{1}{4}} e^{ \beta \sum_{i,j} J_{ij} \mathbf{S}_i \cdot \mathbf{S}_j} \\
&= e^{\beta \sum_{i,j} J_{ij}\frac{1}{4}} \sum_{\mathbf{S}} e^{ \beta \sum_{i,j} J_{ij} \mathbf{S}_i \cdot \mathbf{S}_j} = A \sum_{\mathbf{S}} e^{ \beta \sum_{i,j} J_{ij} \mathbf{S}_i \cdot \mathbf{S}_j}
\end{align}
or rather ##Z = Z'/A##, namely
$$Z = \sum_{\mathbf{S}} e^{ \beta \sum_{i,j} J_{ij} \mathbf{S}_i \cdot \mathbf{S}_j}$$
in the case where neighbors have the same interaction strength, ##J_{ij} = J##,
$$Z = \sum_{\mathbf{S}} e^{ \beta J \sum_{i,j} \mathbf{S}_i \cdot \mathbf{S}_j}$$
where you assume spin is non-zero in the z direction
$$Z = \sum_{s^z} e^{ \beta J \sum_{i,j} s^z_i s^z_j}$$
and then magically assume ##s^z_i = s_i = \pm 1## to find the Ising model:
$$Z = \sum_{s} e^{ \beta J \sum_{i,j} s_i s_j}$$
Can you state the last four lines in a better way?

Hopefully the meaning of the Hamiltonian, the meaning of ##J## and the minus sign is clearer.
 
LagrangeEuler said:
And why we do not have kinetic energy? It is not a problem. But I never saw that someone calls this energy potential. Why we do not call it potential energy for Ising spin system?
There is no kinetic energy because the particles are at fixed positions. As to why it is not usually called a potential energy, I would say it is more a matter of convention. It is often referred to as an interaction energy and rarely as potential energy, this is true. My guess is that "potential energy" is often associated to an energy that is a function of the position of particles and here the energy does not change by changing the position of the particles but by changing their spin states.
 

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