Anharmonic oscillator model for first order structural phase transition

Exact solutions for the motion of a classical anharmonic oscillator in the potentialV(φ)=Bφ ² ? |A|φ ⁴ +Cφ ⁶ are obtained in (1 + 1) dimensions. Instanton-like solutions in (imaginary time) which takes the particle from one maximum of the potential to the other are obtained in addition to the usual oscillatory solutions. The energy dependence of the frequencies of oscillation is discussed in detail. This can be used as a model for the first order structural phase transition in the mean field approximation. The high and low temperature behaviour of the static susceptibility is obtained. Finally, a qualitative explanation is offered for the observed central peak in ferroelectrics like SrTiO₂.     

Proof of the first order phase transition in the Slater KDP model

The Slater KDP model defined on d-dimensional tetrahedral lattices is proved to have a phase transition for which the entropy and energy are discontinuous functions at a transition temperaturekT _c =/ln2, independent of dimensionality.     

Nonanalytic features of the first order phase transition in the Ising model

The absence of the analytic continuation for the free energy near the point of the first order phase transition in thed-dimensional Ising model is proved. It is shown that thermodynamic functions in the metastable phase do not have certain values and can be derived only with an uncertainty. The asymptotic expansion near the point of the phase transition yields the values of thermodynamic functions with the same uncertainty.     

Two-dimensional atom-phonon coupling model for spin conversion: role of metastable states

Spin conversion, (SC), compounds are composed of molecules organized around a transition metal ion. The ion spin value is smaller for the ion fundamental level than for its first excited one. So, increasing the temperature changes the spin mean value. This spin conversion can be continuous or can display a first order phase transition called spin transition. The atom phonon coupling model, introduced recently, allows to describe at least qualitatively different experimental results. Up to now, this model has been applied on a linear chain of atoms. In this paper we apply it on a square lattice. We study the thermal variations of different thermodynamic parameters and the metastable states which are present around the transition. In this study, it is expected that the critical point of some (SC) compounds can be reached by applying on them a small hydrostatic pressure; it is also expected that ultrasound pulses can induce, at a very low temperature, a conversion between the stable low spin state and the metastable high spin state and it is also predicted that the crystal sound velocity can display a discontinuity at the first order phase transition.     

Magneto-elastic phase transition in a linear chain within the double and super-exchange model

In this work a magneto-elastic phase transition in a linear chain was obtained due the interplay between magnetism and lattice distortion in a double and super-exchange model. We consider a linear chain consisting of classical localized spins interacting with itinerant electrons. Due to the double exchange interaction, localized spins align ferromagnetically. This ferromagnetic tendency is expected to be frustrated by the anti-ferromagnetic super-exchange interaction between neighbor localized spins. Additionally, the lattice parameter is allowed to have small changes, which contributes harmonically to the energy of the system. The phase diagram is obtained as a function of the electron density and the super-exchange interaction using a Monte Carlo minimization. At low super-exchange interaction energy phase transition between electron-full ferromagnetic distorted and electron-empty anti-ferromagnetic undistorted phases occurs. In this case all electrons and lattice distortions were found within the ferromagnetic domain. For high super-exchange interaction energy, phase transition between two site distorted periodic arrangement of independent magnetic polarons ordered anti-ferromagnetically and the electron-empty anti-ferromagnetic undistorted phase was found. For this high interaction energy, Wigner crystallization, lattice distortion and charge distribution inside two-site polarons were obtained.     

On the applicability of mode coupling theory to a ϕ 4-model with first order phase transition

A ? ⁴-model with symmetric double-well-like on-site potential and anharmonic, infinite range interactions is investigated. This model exhibits a first order phase transition at a temperature T _c. The time-dependent displacement correlation function is studied in the framework of the mode coupling theory (MCT). Depending on the choice of slow modes, MCT makes qualitatively different predictions which are compared with MD-results. These numerical results suggest that only the order parameter mode {ie1-1} should be considered as slow. In that case it is shown that MCT yields a dynamical transition in the supercooled high-temperature phase {ie1-2} at a temperature T* which coincides with the spinodal temperature T _s (T _s = 0 for our model) where the metastable supercooled phase becomes instable.     

Investigations of the first order magnetic phase transition in dysprosium

The first order magnetic phase transition in polycrystalline sample of dysprosium (Dy) has been investigated in detail by dc-resistance vs. temperature (R-T) measurements. Distinct signature of coexistence of two magnetically ordered phases (i.e. ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic), originating as a result of the metastable behavior associated with the first order phase transition (FOPT) is found near 90 K. By successfully recording the minor hysteresis loops within the hysteretic R-T regime of Dy, a varying degree of phase coexistence in the FOPT is demonstrated.     

Second and first order phase transition analogy in the operation of an organic dye laser

By an extension of the Landau theory of phase transitions for the case of an organic dye laser, it is shown that the threshold behavior of such a laser may be interpreted as an example of a second or first order phase transition. The character of the phase transition primarily depends on the wavelength dependent internal reabsorption of the laser light, which can be controlled by simple wavelength tuning of the dye laser.     

The bifurcation approach to the theory of the first order isotropiv-nematic phase transition

The known results about the first order transition of the isotropic liquid of rod-like molecules into nematic phase are obtained in a simple way in terms of bifurcations of a nonlinear intergal equation solution.     

A first order superfluid-Mott insulator transition for a Bose–Hubbard model in an emergent lattice

The combination of strong correlation and emergent lattice can be achieved when quantum gases are confined in a superradiant Fabry–Perot cavity. In addition to the discoveries of exotic phases, such as density wave ordered Mott insulator and superfluid, a surprising kink structure is found in the slope of the cavity strength as a function of the pumping strength. In this article, we show that the appearance of such a kink is a manifestation of a liquid–vapour-like transition between two superfluids with different densities. The slopes in the immediate neighborhood of the kink become divergent at the liquid–vapour critical points and display a critical scaling law with a critical exponent 1 in the quantum critical region.     

Cosmological baryon-number domain structure and the first order phase transition of a vacuum

If CP-nonconservation arises from spontaneous symmetry breaking in the very early universe, the universe will have a domain structure of baryon number. We propose a model of the early universe in which domains are stretched exponentially and the radius of the domains is much greater than that of the horizon of the standard big bang model, provided that the grand unified theory undergoes a first order phase transition. If the size of the stretched domains is sufficiently big to avoid pair annihilations of baryon and antibaryon domains, the difficulties of the baryon symmetric universe may be removed.     

Zeros of the finite-size scaling region partition function for a model with a wetting transition

We derive a finite-size scaling representation for the partition function for an Onsager-Temperley string model with a wetting transition, and analyze the zeros of this partition function in the complex scaled coupling parameter of relevance. The system models the one-dimensional interface between two phases in a rectangular two-dimensional region (x, y) ²,–L yL,oxN. The two phases are at coexistence. The string or interface has a surface tension 2KkT per unit length and an extra Boltzmann weighta per unit length if it touches the surfaces aty=±L. There is a critical valuea _c=1/2K and fora>a _c the string is confined to one of the surfaces, while fora a _c the string moves roughly in the rectangular region. The finite-size scaling parameters are =a _c ² N/L ² and =L(a–a _c)/a _c ² . We find that for || large, the zeros of the scaled partition function lie close to the lines arg()=±/4 with re()>0. We discuss the motion of all the zeros as changes by both analytic and numerical arguments.     

Diluted spin conversion compounds behaviours in the atom-phonon coupling model: case of not too large dilution

In order to obtain faster hydrogen sorption kinetics, MgH2-Fe nanocomposites were prepared by high-energy ball milling. The MgH2 decomposition was studied in samples obtained by changing in a systematic way both the catalyst amount and the degree of microstructural refinement. To this purpose, blends containing increasing Fe concentration have been ball milled in processing conditions able to impart different amount of structural defects. The resulting samples have been characterized by X-ray diffraction to investigate the microstructural features and the phase composition, while the powder morphology and the degree of catalyst dispersion were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy. Differential scanning calorimetry was carried out to characterize the hydrogen desorption behavior of these nanocomposites. Experimental results clearly show that the characteristics of the desorption process are dominated, among other factors, by the morphology of the catalyst dispersion, which in turns depends on the processing conditions and blend composition. In order to achieve low desorption temperatures the homogeneous catalyst dispersion in micron-size particles throughout the structure is required. This condition can be achieved by suitable tuning of the milling conditions and of the catalyst amount.     

Quantum phase diagram of the t-J(z) chain model

We present the quantum phase diagram of the one-dimensional t- J(z) model for arbitrary spin (integer or half-integer) and sign of the spin-spin interaction J(z), using an exact mapping to a spinless fermion model that can be solved exactly using the Bethe ansatz. We discuss its superconducting phase as a function of hole doping nu. Motivated by the new paradigm of high temperature superconductivity, the stripe phase, we also consider the effect the antiferromagnetic background has on the t- J(z) chain intended to mimic the stripe segments.