Quantum phase transition in the one-dimensional compass model

We introduce a one-dimensional model which interpolates between the Ising model and the quantum compass model with frustrated pseudospin interactions $\sigma_i^z\sigma_{i+1}^z$ and $\sigma_i^x\sigma_{i+1}^x$, alternating between even/odd bonds, and present its exact solution by mapping to quantum Ising models. We show that the nearest neighbor pseudospin correlations change discontinuosly and indicate divergent correlation length at the first order quantum phase transition. At this transition one finds the disordered ground state of the compass model with high degeneracy $2\times 2^{N/2}$ in the limit of $N\to\infty$.