Related papers: Quantum first order phase transitions
First order quantum phase transitions (1QPTs) are signaled, in the thermodynamic limit, by discontinuous changes in the ground state properties. These discontinuities affect expectation values of observables, including spatial correlations.…
We consider quantum and classical first-order transitions, at equilibrium and under out-of-equilibrium conditions, mainly focusing on quench and slow quasi-adiabatic protocols. For these phenomena, we review the finite-size scaling theory…
First-order phase transitions, classical or quantum, subject to randomness coupled to energy-like variables (bond randomness) can be rounded, resulting in continuous transitions (emergent criticality). We study perhaps the simplest such…
We investigate finite-size effects in quantum systems at first-order quantum transitions. For this purpose we consider the one-dimensional q-state Potts models which undergo a first-order quantum transition for any q>4, separating the…
Quantum phase transitions have been the subject of intense investigations in the last two decades [1]. Among other problems, these phase transitions are relevant in the study of heavy fermion systems, high temperature superconductors and…
First order phase transitions are described in terms of the microcanonical and canonical ensemble, with special attention to finite size effects. Difficulties in interpreting a "caloric curve" are discussed. A robust parameter indicating…
A first order phase transition leading to deconfinement and chiral restoration is a likely possibility for QCD, at least in some region of the temperature-density plane. A signal for a unique transition is that the order parameters for such…
Several basic problems of the theory of quantum phase transitions are reviewed. The effect of the quantum correlations on the phase transition properties is considered with the help of basic models of statistical physics. The effect of…
The hunt for exotic quantum phase transitions described by emergent fractionalized degrees of freedom coupled to gauge fields requires a precise determination of the fixed point structure from the field theoretical side, and an extreme…
Studying the order of the chiral transition for $N_f=2$ is of fundamental importance to understand the mechanism of color confinement. We present results of a numerical investigation on the order of the transition by use of a novel strategy…
The well known scaling laws relating critical exponents in a second order phase transition have been generalized to the case of an arbitrarily higher order phase transition. In a higher order transition, such as one suggested for the…
We study the effects of smooth inhomogeneities at first-order transitions. We show that a temperature gradient at a thermally-driven first-order transition gives rise to nontrivial universal scaling behaviors with respect to the length…
Complex interactions leading to phase transitions continue to hold a due interest in the scientific community. We charactersize a phase transition in a coupled oscillators model where interactions are not local in nature. At a first order…
The influence of the initial fluctuations on the onset of scaling in the quench to zero temperature of a two dimensional system with conserved order parameter, is analyzed in detail with and without topological defects. We find that the…
We investigate the quantum dynamics of many-body systems subject to local, i.e. restricted to a limited space region, time-dependent perturbations. If the perturbation drives the system across a quantum transition, an off-equilibrium…
The effect of inclusion of higher-order interactions in the {\it XY} model on critical properties is studied by Monte Carlo simulations. It is found that an increasing number of the higher-order terms in the Hamiltonian modifies the shape…
The origin of the non commutativity of the limits $t \to \infty$ and $N \to \infty$ in the dynamics of first order transitions is investigated. In the large-N model, i.e. $N \to \infty$ taken first, the low temperature phase is…
Phase transitions and critical phenomena are among the most intriguing phenomena in nature and society. They are classified as first-order phase transitions (FOPTs) and continuous ones. While the latter show marvelous phenomena of scaling…
We investigate the effects of smooth inhomogeneities at first-order quantum transitions (FOQT), such as those arising from the presence of a space-dependent external field, which smooths out the typical discontinuities of the low-energy…
Experimentally there exist many materials with first-order phase transitions at finite temperature that display quantum criticality. Classically, a strain-energy density coupling is known to drive first-order transitions in compressible…