Theory of the Random Field Ising Model

A review is given on some recent developments in the theory of the Ising model in a random field. This model is a good representation of a large number of impure materials. After a short repetition of earlier arguments, which prove the absence of ferromagnetic order in d ≤ 2 space dimensions for uncorrelated random fields, we consider different random field correlations and in particular the generation of uncorrelated from anti-correlated random fields by thermal fluctuations. In discussing the phase transition, we consider the transition to be characterized by a divergent correlation length and compare the critical exponents obtained from various methods (real space RNG, Monte Carlo calculations, weighted mean field theory etc.). The ferromagnetic transition is believed to be preceded by a spin glass transition which manifests itself by replica symmetry breaking. In the discussion of dynamical properties, we concentrate mainly on the zero temperature depinning transition of a domain wall, which represents a critical point far from equilibrium with new scaling relations and critical exponents.