Specific heat study of quasi-one-dimensional antiferromagnetic model for an organic polymer chain

The specific heat of an infinite one-dimensional polymer chain bearing periodically arranged side radicals connected to the even sites is studied by means of quantum transfer-matrix method based on a Ising–Heisenberg model. In the absence of the exchange interactions between side radicals and the main chain, the curves of specific heat show a round peak due to the antiferromagnetic excitations for the all antiferromagnetic interactions along the polymer chain. Considering the exchange interactions between the side radicals and the main chain, the curves of the specific heat show double-peak structure for ferromagnetic interactions between the radicals and main chain, indicating that a competition between ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic interactions and the possibility of the occurrence of the stable ferrimagnetic state along the polymer chain.