Static theory for planar ferromagnets and antiferromagnets (Q5958927)

Let \(\Omega\) be a bounded, open, connected set in \({\mathbb R}^2\) and let \(g:\partial\Omega\rightarrow S^1\) be a smooth map of topological degree \(d\). For any \(\varepsilon >0\), define the Ginzburg-Landau type energy functional \(I_\varepsilon (u)=2^{-1}\int_\Omega [|\nabla u|^2+\varepsilon^{-2}(u^3)^2] dx\), where \(u=(u^1,u^2,u^3)\in H^1(\Omega ,S^2)\) and \(u=g\) on \(\partial\Omega\). The paper deals with the study of the asymptotic behaviour as \(\varepsilon\rightarrow 0\) of minimizers \(u_\varepsilon\) to the above functional. This analysis is suggested by a concrete mathematical model for the planar ferromagnets and antiferromagnets. The main results of the paper can be described as follows: in the first part it is analyzed the case \(d=0\) and it is shown that if \(\varepsilon >0\) is small enough then the minimizer of \(I_\varepsilon\) is a minimizing harmonic map to \(S^1\). Next, after establishing some gradient estimates for minimizers, the authors justify the convergence of minimizers away from \(|d|\) vortex points, provided that \(d\not=0\). In the last part of the paper some special solutions of the corresponding Euler-Lagrange equation are studied and stability properties of these solutions are established. The proofs are based on refined estimates for nonlinear elliptic equations combined with basic methods related to the minimization of functionals with constraints.