Interwoven long-range order induced by random fields
Abstract
We propose a distinct type of long-range ordered phase that can occur in classical and quantum many-particle systems. It is induced by impurities and defects that locally break a subset of the order-parameter symmetries, i.e., by random-field disorder that couples to a composite vestigial order parameter. The proposed ``implectic'' phase is characterized by spontaneous symmetry breaking on the background of the spatially interwoven domain structure created by the random fields. We explicitly demonstrate the existence of this phase in a layered Ising magnet by means of large-scale Monte Carlo simulations. We then discuss numerous potential applications in systems featuring charge and spin density wave order including frustrated magnets, cuprate and iron-based superconductors, and ultracold atoms.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2607.10337,
title = {Interwoven long-range order induced by random fields},
author = {Jeremiah Bender and Thomas Vojta},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2607.10337},
year = {2026}
}
Comments
7 pages + 4 pages supplement