Influence of capillary condensation on the near-critical solvation force

We argue that in a fluid, or magnet, confined by adsorbing walls which favor liquid, or the (+) phase, the solvation (Casimir) force in the vicinity of the critical point is strongly influenced by capillary condensation which occurs below the bulk critical temperature T(c). At T slightly below and above T(c), a small bulk field h<0, which favors gas, or the (-) phase, leads to residual condensation and a solvation force which is much more attractive (at the same large wall separation) than that found exactly at the critical point. Our predictions are supported by results obtained from density-matrix renormalization-group calculations in a two-dimensional Ising strip subject to identical surface fields.     

No-go theorem for critical phenomena in large-N(c) QCD

We derive some rigorous results on the chiral phase transition in QCD and QCD-like theories with a large number of colors, N(c), based on the QCD inequalities and the large-N(c) orbifold equivalence. We show that critical phenomena and associated soft modes are forbidden in flavor-symmetric QCD at finite temperature T and finite but not so large quark chemical potential μ for any nonzero quark mass. In particular, the critical point in QCD at a finite baryon chemical potential μ(B)=N(c)μ is ruled out, if the coordinate (T, μ) is outside the pion condensed phase in the corresponding phase diagram of QCD at a finite isospin chemical potential μ(I)=2μ.     

Towards the identification of a quantum critical line in the (p, B) phase diagram of CeCoIn5 with thermal-expansion measurements

The low-temperature thermal expansion of CeCoIn(5) single crystals measured parallel and perpendicular to magnetic fields B oriented along the c axis yields the volume thermal-expansion coefficient β. Considerable deviations of β(T) from Fermi-liquid behavior occur already within the superconducting region of the (B, T) phase diagram and become maximal at the upper critical field B(c2)(0). However, β(T) and the Grüneisen parameter Γ are incompatible with a quantum critical point at B(c2)(0), but allow for a quantum criticality shielded by superconductivity and extending to negative pressures for B相似文献   

Quantum critical end point for the Kondo volume collapse model

The Kondo volume collapse describes valence transitions in f-electron metals and is characterized by a line of first order transitions in the pressure-temperature phase plane terminated at critical end points. We analyze the quantum critical end point, when the lower end point is tuned to T=0, and determine the specific heat, thermal expansion, and compressibility. We find that the inclusion of quantum critical fluctuations leads to a novel bifurcation of the first order phase line. Finally, we show that critical strain fluctuations can cause both, superconductivity and non-Fermi liquid behavior near the critical point.     

Phase diagram of the one-dimensional half-filled extended Hubbard model

We determine the ground-state phase diagram of the one-dimensional half-filled Hubbard model with on-site (nearest-neighbor) repulsive interaction U (V) and nearest-neighbor hopping t using the density-matrix renormalization group technique. Based on the results of the excitation gaps, Luttinger-liquid exponents, and bond-order-wave (BOW) order parameter, we confirm that the BOW phase appears in a substantial region between the charge-density-wave (CDW) and spin-density-wave phases. Each phase boundary is determined by multiple means and it allows us to make a cross-check on the validity of our estimations. We also find that the BOW-CDW transition changes from continuous to first order at the tricritical point (U(t),V(t)) approximately (5.89 t,3.10 t) and the BOW phase shrinks to zero at the critical end point (U(c),V(c)) approximately (9.25 t,4.76 t).     

Disorder driven melting of the vortex line lattice

The 3D XY model with random in-plane couplings is simulated to model the phase diagram of a disordered type II superconductor as a function of temperature T and randomness strength p for fixed applied magnetic field. As p increases to a critical p(c), the first order vortex lattice melting line turns parallel to the T axis, continuing down to low temperatures, rather than ending at a critical point. Above p(c) preliminary results suggest the absence of a phase coherent vortex glass.     

Probing the quantum critical behavior of CeCoIn5 via Hall effect measurements

We present highly sensitive Hall effect measurements of the heavy fermion compound CeCoIn5 down to temperatures of 55 mK. A pronounced dip in the differential Hall coefficient | partial differential rho(xy)/ partial differential H| at low temperature and above the upper critical field of superconductivity, H(c2), is attributed to critical spin fluctuations associated with the departure from Landau Fermi liquid behavior. This identification is strongly supported by a systematic suppression of this feature at elevated pressures. The resulting crossover line in the field-temperature phase diagram favors a field induced quantum critical point at mu(0)H(qc) approximately 4.1 T below H(c2)(T=0) suggesting related, yet separate, critical fields.     

Experimental observation of disorder-driven hysteresis-loop criticality

We have studied the effect of magnetic disorder on the magnetization reversal process in thin Co/CoO films. The antiferromagnetic CoO layer allows a reversible tuning of the magnetic disorder by simple temperature variation. For temperatures above a critical temperature T(c), we observe a discontinuous magnetization reversal, whereas smooth magnetization loops occur for T相似文献   

Chemically mediated quantum criticality in NbFe2

Laves-phase Nb(1+c)Fe(2-c) is a rare itinerant intermetallic compound exhibiting magnetic quantum criticality at c(cr)～1.5%Nb excess; its origin, and how alloying mediates it, remains an enigma. For NbFe(2), we show that an unconventional band critical point above the Fermi level E(F) explains most observations and that chemical alloying mediates access to this unconventional band critical point by an increase in E(F) with decreasing electrons (increasing %Nb), counter to rigid-band concepts. We calculate that E(F) enters the unconventional band critical point region for c(cr) > 1.5%Nb and by 1.74%Nb there is no Nb site-occupation preference between symmetry-distinct Fe sites, i.e., no electron-hopping disorder, making resistivity near constant as observed. At larger Nb (Fe) excess, the ferromagnetic Stoner criterion is satisfied.     

Quantum critical scaling and the origin of non-fermi-liquid behavior in Sc1-xUxPd3

We used inelastic neutron scattering to study magnetic excitations of Sc1-xUxPd3 for U concentrations (x=0.25, 0.35) near the spin glass quantum critical point (QCP). The excitations are spatially incoherent, broad in energy (E=variant Planck's over 2piomega), and follow omega/T scaling at all wave vectors investigated. Since similar omega/T scaling has been observed for UCu5-xPdx and CeCu6-xAux near the antiferromagnetic QCP, we argue that the observed non-Fermi-liquid behavior in these f-electron materials arises from the critical phenomena near a T=0 K phase transition, irrespective of the nature of the transition.     

Disappearance of the gas-liquid phase transition for highly charged colloids

We calculate the full phase diagram of spherical charged colloidal particles using Monte Carlo free energy calculations. The system is described using the primitive model, consisting of explicit hard-sphere colloids and point counterions in a uniform dielectric continuum. We show that the gas-liquid critical point becomes metastable with respect to a gas-solid phase separation at colloid charges Q > or =20 times the counterion charge. Approximate free energy calculations with only one and four particles in the fluid and solid phases, respectively, are used to determine the critical line for highly charged colloids up to Q=2000. We propose the scaling law T*(c) approximately Q(1/2) for this critical temperature.     

Crystalline order in superfluid (3)He films

We predict an inhomogeneous phase of superfluid (3)He films in which translational symmetry is spontaneously broken in the plane of the film. This phase is energetically favored over a range of film thicknesses, D(c2)(T) < D < D(c1)(T), separating distinct homogeneous superfluid phases. The instability at the critical film thickness, D(c2) approximately 9 xi (T), is a single-mode instability generating striped phase order in the film. Numerical calculations of the order parameter and free energy indicate a second-order instability to a periodic lattice of degenerate B-like phases separated by domain walls at D(c1) approximately 13 xi (T).     

Pressure-induced phase transition(s) in KMnF3 and the importance of the excess volume for phase transitions in perovskite structures

We report a pressure-dependent investigation of KMnF(3) by x-ray diffraction up to 30 GPa. The results are discussed in the framework of Landau theory and in relation to the isostructural phase transition in SrTiO(3). The phase transition temperature near 186 K in KMnF(3) shifts to room temperature at a critical pressure of P(c) = 3.4 GPa; the pressure dependence of the transition point follows ΔP(c)/ΔT(c) = 0.0315 GPa K(-1). The transition becomes second order under high pressure, close to the tricritical point. The phase transition is determined by the rotation of MnF(6) octahedra with their simultaneous expansion along the rotation axis. The rotation angle was found to increase to 10.5° at 24 GPa. An additional anomaly was observed at higher pressure around 25 GPa, suggesting a further phase transition.     

Reentrant phenomenon in the quantum phase transitions of a gas of bosons trapped in an optical lattice

We calculate the location of the quantum phase transitions of a Bose gas trapped in an optical lattice as a function of effective scattering length a(eff) and temperature T. Knowledge of recent high-loop results on the shift of the critical temperature at weak couplings is used to locate a nose in the phase diagram above the free Bose-Einstein critical temperature T((0))(c), thus predicting the existence of a reentrant transition above T((0))(c), where a condensate should form when increasing a(eff). At zero temperature, the transition to the normal phase produces the experimentally observed Mott insulator.     

Low-temperature broken-symmetry phases of spiral antiferromagnets

We study Heisenberg antiferromagnets with nearest- (J1) and third- (J3) neighbor exchange on the square lattice. In the limit of spin S-->infinity, there is a zero temperature (T) Lifshitz point at J(3)=1/4J(1), with long-range spiral spin order at T=0 for J3>1/4J(1). We present classical Monte Carlo simulations and a theory for T>0 crossovers near the Lifshitz point: spin rotation symmetry is restored at any T>0, but there is a broken lattice reflection symmetry for 0< or =T相似文献   

Quantum and classical mode softening near the charge-density-wave-superconductor transition of CuxTiSe2

Temperature- and x-dependent Raman scattering studies of the charge-density-wave (CDW) amplitude modes in Cu(x)TiSe(2) show that the amplitude mode frequency omega(0) exhibits identical power-law scaling with the reduced temperature T/T(CDW) and the reduced Cu content x/x(c), i.e., omega(0) approximately (1-p)(0.15) for p=T/T(CDW) or x/x(c), suggesting that mode softening is independent of the control parameter used to approach the CDW transition. We provide evidence that x-dependent mode softening in Cu(x)TiSe(2) is associated with the reduction of the electron-phonon coupling constant, and that x-dependent "quantum" (T approximately 0) mode softening suggests the presence of a quantum critical point within the superconductor phase of Cu(x)TiSe(2).     

Nodal d + id pairing and topological phases on the triangular lattice of Na(x)CoO(2).yH(2)O: evidence for an unconventional superconducting state

We show that finite angular momentum pairing chiral superconductors on the triangular lattice have point zeroes in the complex gap function. A topological quantum phase transition takes place through a nodal superconducting state at a specific carrier density x(c) where the normal state Fermi surface crosses the isolated zeros. For spin-singlet pairing, we show that the second-nearest-neighbor (d+id)-wave pairing can be the dominant pairing channel. The gapless critical state at x (c) approximately 0.25 has six Dirac points and is topologically nontrivial with a T3 spin relaxation rate below T(c). This picture provides a possible explanation for the unconventional superconducting state of Na(x)Co O(2). yH(2)O. Analyzing a pairing model with strong correlation using the Gutzwiller projection and symmetry arguments, we study these topological phases and phase transitions as a function of Na doping.     

Avoided antiferromagnetic order and quantum critical point in CeCoIn5

We measured the specific heat and resistivity of heavy fermion CeCoIn5 between the superconducting critical field H(c2)=5 T and 9 T, with the field in the [001] direction, and at temperatures down to 50 mK. At 5 T the data show a non-Fermi liquid (NFL) behavior down to the lowest temperatures. At the field above 8 T the data exhibit a crossover from the Fermi liquid to a non-Fermi liquid behavior. We analyzed the scaling properties of the specific heat and compared both the resistivity and the specific heat with the predictions of a spin-fluctuation theory. Our analysis leads us to suggest that the NFL behavior is due to incipient antiferromagnetism (AFM) in CeCoIn5 with the quantum critical point in the vicinity of H(c2). Below H(c2) the AFM phase which competes with the paramagnetic ground state is superseded by the superconducting transition.     

Generic absorbing transition in coevolution dynamics

We study a coevolution voter model on a complex network. A mean-field approximation reveals an absorbing transition from an active to a frozen phase at a critical value [see text for formula] that only depends on the average degree micro of the network. In finite-size systems, the active and frozen phases correspond to a connected and a fragmented network, respectively. The transition can be seen as the sudden change in the trajectory of an equivalent random walk at the critical point, resulting in an approach to the final frozen state whose time scale diverges as tau approximately |p(c) - p|(-)} near p(c).     

't Hooft loop in SU(2) Yang-Mills theory

We study the behavior of the spatial and temporal 't Hooft loop at zero and finite temperature in the 4D SU(2) Yang-Mills theory, using a new numerical method. In the deconfined phase T > T(c), the spatial 't Hooft loop exhibits a dual string tension, which vanishes at T(c) with a 3D Ising-like critical exponent.