Heisenberg Model of a Ferromagnetic Monolayer Deposited on a Non-Magnetic Bulk Substrate

A model describing a Heisenberg ferromagnetic monolayer (in a magnetic field) interacting with its non-magnetic bulk substrate is formulated. We use reduced-density operators to show that physical properties of the monolayer are affected by its interaction with the environment. Particularly the influence of the substrate lattice vibrations on the monolayer exchange parameter is examined. The Gaussian-type orbitals were used to calculate the distance dependence of the exchange parameter and the many-body Green functions to calculate the temperature dependence of the magnetization. Finally, the influence of the Debye temperature of the substrate on the magnetization of the monolayer is depicted. Although the resultant effect is not prominent, we state that interaction of ultrathin magnetic films with their environment has to be taken into account in the construction of the reduced-density operator.