Neutron scattering study of the field-induced soliton lattice in CuGeO3

CuGeO3 undergoes a transition from a spin-Peierls phase to an incommensurate phase at a critical field of H(c) approximately 12.5 T. In the high-field phase a lattice of solitons forms, with both structural and magnetic components, and these have been studied using neutron scattering techniques. Our results provide direct evidence for a long-ranged magnetic soliton structure which has both staggered and uniform magnetizations with amplitudes that are broadly in accord with theoretical estimates. The magnetic soliton width gamma(m) and the field dependence of the incommensurability deltak(SP) are found to agree well with theoretical predictions.     

Failure of mean field theory at large N

We study strongly coupled lattice QCD with N colors of staggered fermions in 3+1 dimensions. While mean field theory describes the low temperature behavior of this theory at large N, it fails in the scaling region close to the finite temperature second order chiral phase transition. The universal critical region close to the phase transition belongs to the 3D XY universality class even when N becomes large. This is in contrast to Gross-Neveu models where the critical region shrinks as N (the number of flavors) increases and mean field theory is expected to describe the phase transition exactly in the limit of infinite N. Our work demonstrates that infrared fluctuations can be important close to second order phase transitions even when N is strictly infinite.     

交错跃迁Hofstadter梯子的量子流相

为玻色Hofstadter梯子模型引入交错跃迁,来扩展模型支持的量子流相.基于精确对角化和密度矩阵重整化群计算发现,无相互作用时,系统中包含横流相、涡旋相和纵流相;横流相来自均匀跃迁时Hofstadter梯子模型的Meissner相,纵流相是交错跃迁时才可见的流相.强相互作用极限下系统的超流区也包含横流相、纵流相和涡旋相,但存在更多的相变级数;超流区的横流相、纵流相之间存在相变但Mott区的不存在,把Mott区的"横、纵流相"称为Mott-均匀相,在Mott区只存在均匀相和涡旋相.跃迁的交错会压缩涡旋相存在的区域,使Mott区最终只剩下均匀相;跃迁的交错不仅能驱动Mott-超流相变,还使磁通的改变也能够驱动系统的Mott-超流相变.对这一系统的研究丰富了磁通系统中的量子流相,同时为研究拓扑流特性提供了模型支持.     

Aggregation and intermediate phases in dilute spin systems

We study a variety of dilute annealed lattice spin systems. For site diluted problems with many internal spin states, we uncover a new phase characterized by the occupation and vacancy of staggered sublattices. In cases where the uniform system has a low temperature phase, the staggered states represent an intermediate phase. Furthermore, in many of these cases, we show that (at least part of) the phase boundary separating the low-temperature and staggered phases is a line of phase coexistence-i.e. the transition is first order. We also study the phenomenon of aggregation (phase separation) in bond diluted models. Such transitions are known, trivially, to occur in the large-q Potts models. However, it turns out that phase separation is typical in bond diluted spin systems with many internal states. (In particular, a bond aggregation transition is not tied to a discontinuous transition in the uniform system.) Along the portions of the phase boundary where any of these phenomena occur, the prospects for a Fisher renormalization effect are deemed to be highly unlikely or are ruled out altogether.Partly supported by the NSF grant DMS-93-02023 (L.C.), the grants GAR 202/93/0449 and GAUK 376 (R.K.), and the NSF grant DMS-92-08029 and the Russian Fund of Fundamental Investigations grant 93-01-01470 (S.B.S.).     

Impurity induced spin texture in quantum critical 2D antiferromagnets

We describe the uniform and staggered magnetization distributions around a vacancy in a quantum critical two-dimensional S=1/2 antiferromagnet. The distributions are delocalized across the entire sample with a universal functional form arising from an uncompensated Berry phase. The numerical results, obtained using quantum Monte Carlo simulations of the Heisenberg model on bilayer lattices with up to approximately equal to 10(5) spins, are in good agreement with the proposed scaling structure. We determine the exponent eta' = 0.40+/-0.02, which governs both the staggered and uniform magnetic structure away from the impurity and also controls the impurity spin dynamics.     

Robustness of a perturbed topological phase

We investigate the stability of the topological phase of the toric code model in the presence of a uniform magnetic field by means of variational and high-order series expansion approaches. We find that when this perturbation is strong enough, the system undergoes a topological phase transition whose first- or second-order nature depends on the field orientation. When this transition is of second order, it is in the Ising universality class except for a special line on which the critical exponent driving the closure of the gap varies continuously, unveiling a new topological universality class.     

Field-induced staggered magnetization and magnetic ordering in Cu2(C5H12N2)2Cl4

We present a 2D NMR investigation of the gapped spin-1/2 compound Cu2(C5H10N2D2)2Cl4. Our measurements reveal the presence of a magnetic field-induced transverse staggered magnetization (TSM) which persists well below and above the field-induced 3D long-range magnetically ordered (FIMO) phase. The symmetry of this TSM is different from that of the TSM induced by the order parameter of the FIMO phase. Its origin, field dependence, and symmetry can be explained by an intradimer Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction, as shown by DMRG calculations on a spin-1/2 ladder. This leads us to predict that the transition into the FIMO phase is not in the BEC universality class.     

Staggered-vortex superfluid of ultracold bosons in an optical lattice

We show that the dynamics of cold bosonic atoms in a two-dimensional square optical lattice produced by a bichromatic light-shift potential is described by a Bose-Hubbard model with an additional effective staggered magnetic field. In addition to the known uniform superfluid and Mott insulating phases, the zero-temperature phase diagram exhibits a novel kind of finite-momentum superfluid phase, characterized by a quantized staggered rotational flux. An extension for fermionic atoms leads to an anisotropic Dirac spectrum, which is relevant to graphene and high-T(c) superconductors.     

Universality of the Bethe-ansatz solution for the chiral non-linear σ-model

A euclidean lattice action is constructed to test the idea of universality of the Bethe-ansatz solution for the two-dimensional principal chiral model. The response of the system to uniform external fields is studied using the Monte Carlo simulation. A transition to the gapless phase is observed at the critical external field predicted by the Bethe-ansatz method.     

Correlated insulated phase suggests bond order between band and mott insulators in two dimensions

We investigate the ground state phase diagram of the half-filled repulsive Hubbard model in two dimensions in the presence of a staggered potential Delta, the so-called ionic Hubbard model, using cluster dynamical mean-field theory. We find that for large Coulomb repulsion, U > Delta, the system is a Mott insulator (MI). For weak to intermediate values of Delta, on decreasing U, the Mott gap closes at a critical value Uc1(Delta) beyond which a correlated insulating phase with possible bond order is found. Further, this phase undergoes a first-order transition to a band insulator (BI) at Uc2(Delta) with a finite charge gap at the transition. For large Delta, there is a direct first-order transition from a MI to a BI with a single metallic point at the phase boundary.     

On the critical behavior of the Ising model with mixed two- and three-spin interactions

A study is made of a two-dimensional Ising model with staggered three-spin interactions in one direction and two-spin interactions in the other. The phase diagram of the model and its critical behavior are explored by conventional finite-size scaling and by exploiting relations between mass gap amplitudes and critical exponents predicted by conformal invariance. The model is found to exhibit a line of continuously varying critical exponents, which bifurcates into two Ising critical lines. This similarity of the model with the Ashkin-Teller model leads to a conjecture for the exact critical indices along the nonuniversal critical curve. Earlier contradictions about the universality class of the uniform (isotropic) case of the model are clarified.     

Mobility edges and reentrant localization in one-dimensional dimerized non-Hermitian quasiperiodic lattice

The mobility edges and reentrant localization transitions are studied in one-dimensional dimerized lattice with nonHermitian either uniform or staggered quasiperiodic potentials.We find that the non-Hermitian uniform quasiperiodic disorder can induce an intermediate phase where the extended states coexist with the localized ones,which implies that the system has mobility edges.The localization transition is accompanied by the PT symmetry breaking transition.While if the non-Hermitian quasiperiodic disorder is staggered,we demonstrate the existence of multiple intermediate phases and multiple reentrant localization transitions based on the finite size scaling analysis.Interestingly,some already localized states will become extended states and can also be localized again for certain non-Hermitian parameters.The reentrant localization transitions are associated with the intermediate phases hosting mobility edges.Besides,we also find that the non-Hermiticity can break the reentrant localization transition where only one intermediate phase survives.More detailed information about the mobility edges and reentrant localization transitions are presented by analyzing the eigenenergy spectrum,inverse participation ratio,and normalized participation ratio.     

Critical temperature of interacting Bose gases in two and three dimensions

We calculate the superfluid transition temperature of homogeneous interacting Bose gases in three and two spatial dimensions using large-scale path integral Monte Carlo simulations (with up to N=10;{5} particles). In 3D we investigate the limits of the universal critical behavior in terms of the scattering length alone by using different models for the interatomic potential. We find that this type of universality sets in at small values of the gas parameter na3 < or approximately 10(-4). This value is different from the estimate na3 < or approximately 10(-6) for the validity of the asymptotic expansion in the limit of vanishing na3. In 2D we study the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless transition of a gas with hard-core interactions. For this system we find good agreement with the classical lattice |psi|4 model up to very large densities. We also explain the origin of the existing discrepancy between previous studies of the same problem.     

非平衡相变的临界标度理论及普适性

综述了作者近年来在非平衡相变临界（ Ｎ Ｐ Ｃ） 标度理论及普适性研究的进展。主要包括一般 Ｎ Ｐ Ｃ 系统规格化模型,局域序参量的概率分布,广义势的临界渐近形式,空时有关函数及其临界奇异行为。论证了 Ｎ Ｐ Ｃ 系统的临界可标度性,导出了一组普适的 Ｎ Ｐ Ｃ 标度关系,由之计算出的４ 种 Ｎ Ｐ Ｃ 普适类的临界指数与目前已知的实验及理论结果吻合得非常好。此外,还讨论了非平衡相变临界标度理论的普适性,将平衡相变临界标度理论作为一种特殊极限情况含于同一理论体系中。     

非平衡相变的临界标度理论及普适性

综述了作者近年来在非平衡相变临界（ Ｎ Ｐ Ｃ） 标度理论及普适性研究的进展。主要包括一般 Ｎ Ｐ Ｃ 系统规格化模型,局域序参量的概率分布,广义势的临界渐近形式,空时有关函数及其临界奇异行为。论证了 Ｎ Ｐ Ｃ 系统的临界可标度性,导出了一组普适的 Ｎ Ｐ Ｃ 标度关系,由之计算出的４ 种 Ｎ Ｐ Ｃ 普适类的临界指数与目前已知的实验及理论结果吻合得非常好。此外,还讨论了非平衡相变临界标度理论的普适性,将平衡相变临界标度理论作为一种特殊极限情况含于同一理论体系中。     

Ground state phases of the half-filled one-dimensional extended hubbard model

Using quantum Monte Carlo simulations, results of a strong-coupling expansion, and Luttinger liquid theory, we determine quantitatively the ground state phase diagram of the one-dimensional extended Hubbard model with on-site and nearest-neighbor repulsions U and V. We show that spin frustration stabilizes a bond-ordered (dimerized) state for U approximately V/2 up to U/t approximately 9, where t is the nearest-neighbor hopping. The transition from the dimerized state to the staggered charge-density-wave state for large V/U is continuous for U < or approximately 5.5 and first order for higher U.     

Quantum corrections of the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction on the spin-$\frac{1}{2}$ AF-Heisenberg chain in an uniform magnetic field

We have investigated the ground state phase diagram of the 1D AF spin- Heisenberg model with the staggered Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya (DM) interaction in an external uniform magnetic field H. We have used the exact diagonalization technique. In the absence of the uniform magnetic field (H=0), we have shown that the DM interaction induces a staggered chiral phase. The staggered chiral phase remains stable even in the presence of the uniform magnetic field. We have identified that the ground state phase diagram consists of four Luttinger liquid, staggered chiral, spin-flop, and ferromagnetic phases.     

Non-equilibrium relaxation study of the ±J Ising model with biquadratic exchange interaction

The spin-1 ±J Ising model with uniform biquadratic couplings on a simple cubic lattice is studied by the Monte Carlo simulation using the non-equilibrium relaxation method. The reentrant phase transition induced by competition between the bilinear and biquadratic couplings is eliminated gradually with increasing randomness of bilinear couplings and disappears entirely in the strong random system. The dynamic exponent of ferromagnetic transition shows non-universal behavior with changing randomness, while this behavior is not observed in the case of staggered quadrupolar transition.     

Onsager,ice, biomembranes,dimer models and the F-model

Personal recollections give a sampling of some of Onsager's later interests in ice and biomembranes. The author's involvement in these topics led to modeling a particular biomembrane phase transition using dimer models. Recent work is described for a particularly rich dimer model which is isomorphic to the F-model in three kinds of fields (direct, staggered, and quarter). New results for the full three-dimensional phase diagram show (1) how the anomalous OK multicritical point is destroyed by a direct field, and (2) how a new line of critical points must be added to the phase diagram in direct and staggered fields obtained previously by Baxter, due to diverging susceptibilities in the quarter field.     

New ordered phases in a class of generalized XY models

It is well known that the 2D XY model exhibits an unusual infinite order phase transition belonging to the Kosterlitz-Thouless (KT) universality class. Introduction of a nematic coupling into the XY Hamiltonian leads to an additional phase transition in the Ising universality class [D. H. Lee and G. Grinstein, Phys. Rev. Lett. 55, 541 (1985)]. Using a combination of extensive Monte Carlo simulations and finite size scaling, we show that the higher order harmonics lead to a qualitatively different phase diagram, with additional ordered phases originating from the competition between the ferromagnetic and pseudonematic couplings. The new phase transitions belong to the 2D Potts, Ising, or KT universality classes.