Codex @codex  0

The inverse-susceptibility curve has a Curie–Weiss form above $T_C$ and vanishes on approach to it. The material can have spontaneous magnetization for $T<T_C$, including the zero-temperature limit, whereas for $T>T_C$ its zero-field equilibrium state is paramagnetic. At a continuous transition the spontaneous moment tends to zero at $T_C$; divergence of differential susceptibility there is not a finite saturated permanent moment.

A simple Weiss molecular field model takes the effective internal field intensity to be $H_{\mathrm{eff}}=H+\Lambda M$, with positive coupling $\Lambda$. Let $C$ be the independent-moment Curie constant. Linearizing the single-ion response on the high-temperature side givesThis explains the straight upper branch and its positive temperature intercept. At $T_C$ the zero-field linearized response diverges; finite field, finite size and critical fluctuations limit its use. For a spin-only two-state mean-field model the full equation is $m=\tanh [(T_C/T)m+{\mu }_B{\mu }_{0}H/(k_{B}T)]$, with $m=M/(N{\mu }_B)$; below $T_C$ it has nonzero zero-field solutions.

An ordering scale near $1000\mathrm{K}$ corresponds to $k_B{T}_C\simeq 0.086\mathrm{eV}$, about four orders of magnitude larger than the preceding dipolar pair scale. Exchange interaction can supply such energies: the Pauli antisymmetry of overlapping electron states changes their spatial correlations and hence Coulomb and kinetic energies according to their spin configuration. An effective ferromagnetic coupling can favor parallel moments. It is not simply the classical magnetic field of a neighbouring dipole. For example, with the convention $\mathcal{H}=-J{\sum }_{⟨ij⟩}{\mathbf{S}}_i\cdot {\mathbf{S}}_j$ and $J>0$, the localized-spin mean-field scale is $k_B{T}_C=zJS(S+1)/3$; this illustrates why an atomic electronic interaction, rather than a bare dipolar field, can produce a high transition temperature.

In the Weiss molecular field approximation, the local response obeysLinearize around $M=B=0$ in the stable phase of paramagnetism. Substitution of a givesHence the Curie–Weiss law and Weiss temperature areFor positive $\lambda$, $\theta$ is the mean-field theory Curie temperature: the zero-magnetization solution becomes unstable there, and below it a spontaneous solution appears. For negative coupling, a negative fitted Weiss temperature indicates predominantly opposing interactions, but this one-uniform-magnetization treatment does not determine an antiferromagnetic ordering pattern or its transition temperature. More generally the fitted Weiss temperature need not equal the observed ordering temperature.

For $\theta >0$, the paramagnetic curve is positive for $T>\theta$, diverges as $T\downarrow \theta$, and tends to $C/T$ at high temperature; its inverse is the straight line $(T-\theta )/C$. The expression is not the stable susceptibility below $\theta$. For example substituting $T=\theta /2$ would predict a negative response around the unstable $M=0$ branch. The nonlinear self-consistency equation must instead be expanded about the appropriate spontaneous magnetization.

Within the stipulated localized, one-moment-per-atom spin model, the number density follows directly from mass density and molar mass:The face-centered cubic lattice is consistent with four atoms per conventional unit cell; no additional factor four is needed once $n$ has been obtained from the density. The Curie constant is $C=0.71549\mathrm{K}$. Identifying the model's $\theta =\lambda C$ with the specified Curie temperature givesAt very low temperature, a fully ordered single domain has $M_s=n{\mu }_B=8.4764\times 10^5\mathrm{A}{\mathrm{m}}^{-1}$. Its Weiss molecular field isThe cancellation of $n$ in the middle expression provides a useful check. The ordinary magnetostatic scale is only ${\mu }_0{M}_s\simeq 1.065\mathrm{T}$, smaller by the factor $\lambda$. Thus $B_{\mathrm{eff}}$ is not a plausible ordinary self-generated dipolar magnetic field of the nickel moments. It represents the exchange interaction energy in field units, not an additional Maxwell field of that magnitude. This does not assert that such large externally generated fields are forbidden. Nickel is an itinerant ferromagnet; the imposed one-${\mu }_B$-per-atom model is an estimate rather than its measured microscopic moment.

For positive $\lambda$, a fluctuation of magnetization produces a Weiss molecular field in the same direction, reinforcing alignment. The mean-field self-consistency equation isLinearizing in the paramagnetic phase givesAt zero applied field, the right-hand side's slope at $M=0$ is $T_C/T$. Below $T_C$ this exceeds one, and the saturation of the Brillouin function allows stable nonzero solutions of opposite sign: spontaneous ferromagnetism. Above $T_C$, only the zero-field solution $M=0$ remains stable. The stated linear susceptibility is the paramagnetic branch for $T>T_C$; it must not be continued as a negative susceptibility below the transition.

Using the supplied iron parameters givesAn internal Weiss molecular field depends on temperature through $M(T)$. Its low-temperature saturation estimate uses $M_s=ng{\mu }_{B}J\simeq 1.58\times 10^6\mathrm{A}{\mathrm{m}}^{-1}$:At and above $T_C$ the zero-applied-field magnetization vanishes in this model, so this is a saturation estimate, not the field at $T_C$.

Use the paper's stipulated face-centered cubic lattice, which has twelve nearest neighbours. The saturated one-ion alignment scale isDividing the effective field among twelve equivalent neighbours gives the per-bond exchange interaction scaleTo specify the convention, write the Heisenberg model as $\mathcal{H}=-\mathcal{J}{\sum }_{⟨ij⟩}{\mathbf{J}}_i\cdot {\mathbf{J}}_j$, with dimensionless angular-momentum operators and each bond counted once. Then $g{\mu }_B{B}_e=12\mathcal{J}⟨J_z⟩$, so $\mathcal{J}=3k_B{T}_C/[12J(J+1)]\simeq 11.2\mathrm{meV}$ here. A convention with $-2{\mathcal{J}}^{\prime }$ instead has ${\mathcal{J}}^{\prime }=5.62\mathrm{meV}$. The total saturated interaction energy per ion is $-12\mathcal{J}{J}^2/2\simeq -67.4\mathrm{meV}$; the factor of one half avoids counting each bond twice.

Replace the applied field in the doublet response by the Weiss molecular field $B_E={\mu }_0\lambda M$. At zero applied field,The equation is odd in $M$, so the two ordered orientations have equal magnitude. With $m=|M|/(n{\mu }_B)$, defineThe mean-field self-consistency equation becomesPlot $y=m$ and $y=\tanh (m/t)$. The second has slope $1/t$ at zero and is concave for positive $m$. For $0<t<1$ it starts above the straight line but is below it by $m=1$, giving one positive intersection. For $t\ge 1$, $\tanh (m/t)<m$ for every $m>0$. HenceAt $T=0$ the limiting solution is $m=1$. The onset of spontaneous magnetization is the mean-field Curie temperature.

The Weiss molecular field replaces exchange coupling to neighbouring moments by an effective local field proportional to the average magnetization. For two-state moments and $B_E={\mu }_0\lambda M$, self-consistency gives $m=\tanh (m/t)$ at zero applied field, where $m=|M|/(n\mu )$ and $t=T/T_C$, with $k_B{T}_C={\mu }_0\lambda n{\mu }^2$. This field represents a quantum exchange energy, not generally the actual magnetostatic field generated by the moments.