Nontrivial phase diagram for an elastic interaction model of spin crossover materials with antiferromagnetic-like short-range interactions
We study the phase diagram of an elastic interaction model for spin crossover (SC) materials with antiferromagnetic-like short-range interactions. In this model, the interplay between the short-range interaction and the long-range interaction of elastic origin causes complex phase transitions. For relatively weak elastic interactions, the phase diagram is characterized by tricritical points, at which antiferromagnetic (AF) -like and ferromagnetic (F) -like spinodal lines and a critical line merge. On the other hand, for relatively strong elastic interactions, unusual "horn structures," which are surrounded by the F-like spinodal lines, disorder (D) spinodal lines, and the critical line, are realized at higher temperatures. These structures are similar to those obtained in our previous study [Phys. Rev. B {\bf 93}, 064109 (2016)] of an Ising antiferromagnet with infinite-range ferromagnetic interactions, and we find universal features caused by the interplay between the competing short-range and long-range interactions. The long-range interaction of elastic origin is irrelevant (inessential) for the critical line. In contrast, the AF-like, F-like, and D spinodal lines result from the long-range interaction of elastic origin. This difference causes qualitatively different features of domain formation or nucleation of the new phase: clustering occurs in the former case, while clustering is absent in the latter. Based on the phase diagrams, we discuss the patterns and clustering features of two-step SC transitions, in which the AF-like phase is realized in the intermediate temperature region.