Phase transitions of bilayer spin-1/2 Baxter-Wu model with repulsive interlayer interactions

Abstract Using a Monte Carlo simulation and the single histogram reweighting technique, we study the critical behaviors and phase transitions of the Baxter-Wu model on a two-layer triangular lattice with repulsive interlayer interactions. Via the finite-size analysis, we obtain the transition temperatures and critical exponents at different interlayer coupling strengths. The reduced energy cumulants and the histograms reveal pseudo-first-order phase transitions, and the critical exponents derivate from the standard Baxter-Wu model if the coupling is weak. As the increase of the coupling, the behavior of the pseudo-first order transition disappears and the critical exponents are in accordance with the ones known for the 2D 4-state Potts model.