An estimate for the magnetization reversal time of antiferromagnetic chains within the Heisenberg model

Abstract

Within the Heisenberg model in the presence of uniaxial magnetic anisotropy, formulas are obtained that allow one to estimate both the spontaneous magnetization reversal time of an antiferromagnetic chain and the magnetization reversal time due to interaction with the conducting tip of a scanning tunneling microscope (STM). Corrections due to a possible difference between the properties of the end and inner atoms of the chain are calculated. Numerical estimates are obtained for typical parameter values of the Heisenberg Hamiltonian.