Micromagnetic imaging to determine the nature of the ferromagnetic phase transition in La(0.7)Ca(0.3)MnO3

There is considerable controversy surrounding the nature of the paramagnetic to ferromagnetic phase transition in La(0.7)Ca(0.3)MnO3. We have used transmission electron microscopy to determine whether the phase transition is first or second order. On warming through the transition point, the ferromagnetic phase retreats from the sample surface as it is replaced by the paramagnetic phase. This coexistence of ferromagnetic and paramagnetic phases indicates a primarily first order transition. However, there is also continuous loss of magnetization which precedes the phase transition. We compare this with the phase transition in nickel, an archetypal second order ferromagnet.     

Poland–Scheraga Models and the DNA Denaturation Transition

Poland–Scheraga models were introduced to describe the DNA denaturation transition. We give a rigorous and refined discussion of a family of these models. We derive possible scaling functions in the neighborhood of the phase transition point and review common examples. We introduce a self-avoiding Poland–Scheraga model displaying a first order phase transition in two and three dimensions. We also discuss exactly solvable directed examples. This complements recent suggestions as to how the Poland–Scheraga class might be extended in order to display a first order transition, which is observed experimentally.     

Expanding the thermodynamical potential and analysis of the possible phase diagram of deconfinement in the FL model

Deconfinement phase transition is studied in the FL model at finite temperature and chemical potential. At MFT approximation, phase transition can only be first order in the whole μ-T phase plane. Using a Landau expansion, we further study the phase transition order and the possible phase diagram of deconfinement. We discuss the possibilities of second order phase transitions in the FL model. From our analysis, if the cubic term in the Landau expansion could be cancelled by the higher order fluctuations, second order phase transition may occur. By an ansatz of the Landau parameters, we obtain a possible phase diagram with both the first and second order phase transitions, including the tri-critical point which is similar to that of the chiral phase transition.     

Nematics with quenched disorder: violation of self-averaging

We consider the isotropic-to-nematic transition in liquid crystals confined to aerogel hosts, and assume that the aerogel acts as a random field. We generally find that self-averaging is violated. For a bulk transition that is weakly first order, the violation of self-averaging is so severe that even the correlation length becomes non-self-averaging: no phase transition remains in this case. For a bulk transition that is more strongly first order, the violation of self-averaging is milder, and a phase transition is observed.     

Equation of state for pion condensed neutron star matter

We include the effect of the Δ-isobar resonance in the equation of state for neutron star matter in the presence of a pion condensate. We find matter undergoing a first order phase transition after a seconf order phase transition at a much lower density.     

Particle number scale invariant feature of the states around the critical point of the first order nuclear shape phase transition

We study systematically the evolutive behaviors of some energy ratios,E2 transition rate ratios and isomer shift in the nuclear shape phase transitions.We find that the quantities sensitive to the phase transition and independent of free parameter(s) are approximately particle number N scale invariant around the critical point of the first order phase transition,similar to that in the second order phase transition.     

Percolation Phase Transitions from Second Order to First Order in Random Networks

We investigate a percolation process where an additional parameter q is used to interpolate between the classical Erd¨os–R′enyi(ER) network model and the smallest cluster(SC) model. This model becomes the ER network at q = 1, which is characterized by a robust second order phase transition. When q = 0, this model recovers to the SC model which exhibits a first order phase transition. To study how the percolation phase transition changes from second order to first order with the decrease of the value of q from 1 to 0, the numerical simulations study the final vanishing moment of the each existing cluster except the N-cluster in the percolation process. For the continuous phase transition,it is shown that the tail of the graph of the final vanishing moment has the characteristic of the convexity. While for the discontinuous phase transition, the graph of the final vanishing moment possesses the characteristic of the concavity.Just before the critical point, it is found that the ratio between the maximum of the sequential vanishing clusters sizes and the network size N can be used to decide the phase transition type. We show that when the ratio is larger than or equal to zero in the thermodynamic limit, the percolation phase transition is first or second order respectively. For our model, the numerical simulations indicate that there exists a tricritical point qcwhich is estimated to be between0.2 qc 0.25 separating the two phase transition types.     

Phase transition between hidden and antiferromagnetic order in URu2Si2

We have carried out thermal expansion measurements on the heavy fermion compound URu2Si2. We have discovered a new anomaly that appears only under pressure for both the tetragonal a and c axes. Plotting these temperatures on a temperature-pressure plane, we have constructed a phase diagram, in which there is a first order phase transition boundary separating a hidden and antiferromagnetic order. When the system enters the antiferromagnetic phase from the hidden order, the lattice constant shrinks along the a axis and elongates along the c axis, leading to an increase in the lattice constant ratio of c/a. We conclude that the system lies close to a bicritical point from which the first order phase transition line emanates.     

Phase transitions for an ideal Bose condensate trapped in?a?quartic potential

Based on the classification scheme of phase transitions, we study the phase transitions for an ideal Bose gas with a finite number of particles confined in a three-dimensional quartic trap. We show that the phase transition of an ideal Bose gas in the three-dimensional quartic trap is of third order for finite particle numbers, quite different from the fact that the phase transition is of first order in the thermodynamic limit. We discuss the effects of finite particle numbers on the nature of the phase transitions, and determine the dependence of transition temperature on particle number.     

Reorientation of magnetization with temperature in 2D ferromagnets

We investigated 2D Heisenberg ferromagnet (monolayer) with the account of dipolar forces and uniaxial anisotropy and found a reorientation phase transition in temperature from out-of-plane to in-plane phase. This phase transition is of the first order with hysteresis. We estimated the temperatures of switching both analytically and numerically.     

Phase transition and thermodynamic stability in extended phase space and charged Hořava–Lifshitz black holes

For charged black holes in Ho?ava–Lifshitz gravity, a second order phase transition takes place in extended phase space where the cosmological constant is taken as thermodynamic pressure. We relate the second order nature of phase transition to the fact that the phase transition occurs at a sharp temperature and not over a temperature interval. Once we know the continuity of the first derivatives of the Gibbs free energy, we show that all the Ehrenfest equations are readily satisfied. We study the effect of the perturbation of the cosmological constant as well as the perturbation of the electric charge on thermodynamic stability of Ho?ava–Lifshitz black hole. We also use thermodynamic geometry to study phase transition in extended phase space. We investigate the behavior of scalar curvature of Weinhold, Ruppeiner, and Quevedo metric in extended phase space of charged Ho?ava–Lifshitz black holes. It is checked if these curvatures could reproduce the result of specific heat for the phase transition.     

Comparison of the ferromagnetic phase transitions in La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 and single crystal nickel by micromagnetic imaging

There is considerable controversy surrounding the nature of the paramagnetic to ferromagnetic phase transition in La_0.7Ca_0.3MnO₃. We have used transmission electron microscopy to perform micromagnetic imaging in order to determine whether the phase change is first or second order. On warming through the transition point, the ferromagnetic phase retreats from the sample surface as it is replaced by the paramagnetic phase. This coexistence of ferromagnetic and paramagnetic phases indicates a primarily first-order transition. However, there is also a continuous loss of magnetization which precedes the phase transition. We compare this with the ferromagnetic transition in nickel which displays a purely continuous phase change. We discuss the accuracy and range of applicability of the micromagnetic imaging techniques of electron holography and Fresnel imaging which were used in this investigation.     

Effects of the anomaly on the two-flavor QCD chiral phase transition

We use strongly coupled lattice QED with two flavors of massless staggered fermions to model the chiral phase transition in two-flavor massless QCD. Our model allows us to vary the QCD anomaly and thus study its effects on the transition. Our study confirms the widely accepted viewpoint that the chiral phase transition is first order in the absence of the anomaly. Turning on the anomaly weakens the transition and turns it second order at a critical anomaly strength. The anomaly strength at the tricritical point is characterized using r=(M(eta')-M(pi))/rho(eta'), where M(eta'), M(pi) are the screening masses of the anomalous and regular pions and rho(eta') is the mass scale that governs the low energy fluctuations of the anomalous symmetry. We estimate that r ~ 7 in our model. This suggests that a strong anomaly at the two-flavor QCD chiral phase transition is necessary to wash out the first order transition.     

在高密度下核物质的色超导性

建立了相变热力学理论和场论的关系. 强调在量子场论中必须引进序参量场， 则相变的讨论就类似于Goldstone bosons 的产生. 如果只讨论一级相变， Goldstone bosons场就足够了; 如果要讨论二级相变， 则必须讨论一系列的场， 这些场构成一个对称群的表示. 另外, 也将这一思想用到色超导中. In this paper we built a relation between the thermodynamical theory of the phase transition and field theory. We emphasized that in the quantum field theory we have to introduce the order parameter fields. Then the discussion of the phase transition is closed to the creation of the Goldstone bosons. If we only discuss the first order transition, the Goldstone bosons fields are sufficient. If we want to discuss the second order transition, we have to discuss a set of fields that constructs a representation of a symmetry group. We also apply this concept to color superconductivity.     

Coexistence of s-wave superconductivity and antiferromagnetism

We study the phase diagram of a new model that exhibits a first order transition between s-wave superconducting and antiferromagnetic phases. The model, a generalized Hubbard model augmented with competing spin-spin and pair-pair interactions, was investigated using the projector quantum Monte Carlo method. Upon varying the Hubbard U from attractive to repulsive, we find a first order phase transition between superconducting and antiferromagnetic states.     

The effects of a laser field on phase transitions in liquid crystals

We investigate theoretically some phase transitions in liquid crystals in the presence of a laser beam. We found, in non-absorbing nematics, a laser-induced one-way transition from a paranematic to a nematic phase. In absorbing nematics we found, in addition to this transition, a one-way transition from a nematic to a paranematic phase with increasing laser intensity. Further, we found a reentrant nematic or a reentrant paranematic via paranematic or nematic phase respectively. In the case of smectic A, laser absorption results in a coupling between the positional and orientational orders. As a result, the smectic A to nematic transition can change from second order to first order and the smectic C to smectic A transition can become first-order in the field of a laser.     

Multi-layer structure in the strongly coupled 5D abelian Higgs model

We explore the phase diagram of the five-dimensional anisotropic Abelian Higgs model by Monte Carlo simulations. In particular, we study the transition between the confining phase and the four-dimensional layered Higgs phase. We find that, in a certain region of the lattice parameter space, this transition can be first order, and that each layer moves into the Higgs phase independently of the others (decoupling of layers). As the Higgs couplings vary, we find, using mean field techniques, that this transition may probably become second order. Received: 21 December 2001 / Published online: 12 April 2002     

Macroscopic description of the ferromagnetic superconductors

We present an improved analysis of the phase transitions in spin-triplet ferromagnetic superconductors within Ginzburg–Landau theory. We put special emphasis on the phase transitions from normal phase to the mixed phase of coexistence of ferromagnetism and unconventional superconductivity. We present a detailed analysis of the different phases that can occur and analyze the question under which conditions the phase transitions from normal phase to the mixed phase of coexistence of ferromagnetism and unconventional superconductivity are possible when compared to other phase transitions. The conditions for the phase transitions and the stability conditions are calculated. On the basis of this model, it is argued that the transition from normal phase to the mixed phase of coexistence is always of first order. It was observed from the theoretical calculations that the transition from the ferromagnetic phase to the coexistence phase can cross over from the first to the second order at the tricritical point.     

A study of the bulk phase transitions of the SU(2) lattice gauge theory with mixed action

Using the finite size scaling theory, we reexamine the nature of the bulk phase transition in the fundamental-adjoint coupling plane of the SU(2) lattice gauge theory at β_A = 1.25 where previous finite size scaling investigations of the deconfinement phase transition showed it to be of first order for temporal lattices with four sites. Our simulations on N⁴ lattices with N = 6, 8, 10, 12 and 16 show an absence of a first order bulk phase transition. We find the discontinuity in the average plaquette to decrease approximately linearly with N. Correspondingly, the plaquette susceptibility grows a lot slower with the 4-volume of the lattice than expected from a first order bulk phase transition.     

Landau theory for helical nematic phases

We propose Landau phenomenology for the phase transition from the conventional nematic into the conical helical orientationally non-uniform structure recently identified in liquid crystals formed by “banana”-shaped molecules. The mean field predictions are mostly in agreement with experimental data. Based on the analogy with de Gennes model, we argue that fluctuations of the order parameter turn the transition to the first order phase transition rather than continuous one predicted by the mean-field theory. This conclusion is in agreement with experimental observations. We discuss the new Goldstone mode to be observed in the low-temperature phase.