Monte Carlo Study of the Axial Next-Nearest-Neighbor Ising Model

The equilibrium phase behavior of microphase-forming substances and models is notoriously difficult to obtain because of the extended metastability of the modulated phases. We develop a simulation method based on thermodynamic integration that avoids this problem and with which we obtain the phase diagram of the canonical three-dimensional axial next-nearest-neighbor Ising model. The equilibrium devil's staircase, magnetization, and susceptibility are obtained. The critical exponents confirm the XY nature of the disorder-modulated phase transition beyond the Lifshitz point. The results identify the limitations of various approximation schemes used to analyze this basic microphase-forming model.