ABSTRACT. We develop a novel approach to phase transitions in quantum spin models based on a relation to the corresponding classical spin systems. Explicitly, we show that whenever chessboard estimates can be used to prove a phase transition in the classical model, the corresponding quantum model will have a similar phase transition, provided the inverse temperature β and the magnitude of the quantum spins S satisfy β ≪ √ S. From the quantum system we require that it is reflection positive and that it has a meaningful classical limit; the core technical estimate may be described as an extension of the Berezin-Lieb inequalities down to the level of matrix elements. The general theory is further applied to prove phase transitions in various quantum spin systems with S ≫ 1. The most notable examples are the quantum orbital-compass model on Z 2 and the quantum 120degree model on Z 3 which are shown to exhibit symmetry breaking at low-temperatures despite
ABSTRACT. We develop a novel approach to phase transitions in quantum spin models based on a relation to the corresponding classical spin systems. Explicitly, we show that whenever chessboard estimates can be used to prove a phase transition in the classical model, the corresponding quantum model will have a similar phase transition, provided the inverse temperature β and the magnitude of the quantum spins S satisfy β ≪ √ S. From the quantum system we require that it is reflection positive and that it has a meaningful classical limit; the core technical estimate may be described as an extension of the Berezin-Lieb inequalities down to the level of matrix elements. The general theory is further applied to prove phase transitions in various quantum spin systems with S ≫ 1. The most notable examples are the quantum orbital-compass model on Z 2 and the quantum 120degree model on Z 3 which are shown to exhibit symmetry breaking at low-temperatures despite
Abstract: We develop a novel approach to phase transitions in quantum spin models based on a relation to their classical counterparts. Explicitly, we show that whenever chessboard estimates can be used to prove a phase transition in the classical model, the corresponding quantum model will have a similar phase transition, provided the inverse temperature β and the magnitude of the quantum spins S satisfy β ≪ √ S. From the quantum system we require that it is reflection positive and that it has a meaningful classical limit; the core technical estimate may be described as an extension of the Berezin-Lieb inequalities down to the level of matrix elements. The general theory is applied to prove phase transitions in various quantum spin systems with S ≫ 1. The most notable examples are the quantum orbital-compass model on Z 2 and the quantum 120-degree model on Z 3 which are shown to exhibit symmetry breaking at low-temperatures despite
This thesis investigates properties of classical and quantum spin systems on lattices. These models have been widely studied due to their relevance to condensed matter physics. We identify the ground states of an antiferromagnetic RP2 model, these ground states are very di�erent from the ferromagnetic model and there was some disagreement over their structure, we settle this disagreement. Correlation inequalities are proved for the spin- 1/2 XY model and the ground state of the spin-1 XY model. This provides fresh results in a topic that had been stagnant and allows the proof of some new results, for example existence of some correlation functions in the thermodynamic limit. The occurrence of nematic order at low temperature in a quantum nematic model is proved using the method of reflection positivity and infrared bounds. Previous results on this nematic order were achieved indirectly via a probabilistic representation. This result is maintained in the presence of a small antiferromagnetic interaction, this case was not previously covered. Probabilistic representations for quantum spin systems are introduced and some consequences are presented. In particular, N´eel order is proved in a bilinear-biquadratic spin-1 system at low temperature. This result extends the famous result of Dyson, Lieb and Simon [35]. Dilute spin systems are introduced and the occurrence of a phase transition at low temperature characterised by preferential occupation of the even or odd sublattice of a cubic box is proved. This result is the first of its type for such a mixed classical and quantum system. A probabilistic representation of the spin-1 Bose-Hubbard model is also presented and some consequences are proved.
Introduction In the limit of zero temperature, the partition function is dominated by the ground state of the system, the free energy becomes equivalent to the ground state energy, and the central object of interest is the Hamiltonian of the system H (λ), dependent in general on one or more parameters λ. A ‘quantum’ Hamiltonian, as noted previously, is one which contains non-commuting operators. Here we concentrate on quantum spin Hamiltonians, of which the prime example is the Heisenberg model. Of particular interest is the possibility of a quantum phase transition , i.e. nonanalytic behaviour as a function of coupling λ. A quantum phase transition may exert a dominating influence on the system over a range of low temperatures above T = 0. Such phenomena have figured prominently in theoretical discussions of experiments on the cuprate superconductors, the heavy fermion materials, organic conductors, and related materials (e.g. Sachdev, 1999). In some cases, a correspondence can be found between a quantum system at zero temperature in 1 time and ( d – 1) space dimensions, and an equivalent classical system at finite temperature in d space dimensions, based on the Feynman path integral formalism – see Chapter 9 and Appendix 8 for further discussions. Under this mapping, the temperature kT in the classical system corresponds to a coupling λ in the equivalent quantum system. If a phase transition occurs, the same universal critical exponents are expected to apply in both cases.
Classical and quantum spin systems are widely used models in both experimental and theoretical condensed matter physics. In many materials, the electronic interactions can be difficult to model exactly. However, in some insulators (Mott insulators), the magnetic (spin) interactions can be captured well with spin-only models. Several models are studied in this thesis. First, I report the solution of a long-standing issue in a classical frustrated spin model (i.e., where the quantum effects are neglected and the complexity is due to competing interactions): the nature of the thermal phase transition to a stripe state in the two dimensional (2D) J1-J2 model. Here J1 and J2 are nearest- and next-nearest-neighbor couplings. Monte Carlo simulations with single-spin updates are used for the calculations, and an extended-ensemble method, a generalization of the Wang-Landau algorithm, is also developed and tested. I focus on the study of "weak universality" behavior (continuously varying critical exponents, with one of the exponents staying fixed), for which I show a correspondence with a known class of conformal field theories with charge c = 1. Next, moving to quantum spins, to shed light on magnetic systems studied experimentally and to investigate new types of quantum states of interest in developing theories of quantum magnetism, I study the S = 1/2 Heisenberg model on the 2D square lattice with added six-spin interactions (the so-called J-Q3 model) as well as a set of 3D quantum antiferromagnets on dimerized lattices. Here I use the stochastic series expansion quantum Monte Carlo method. In the study of the J-Q3 model, I report on a similar weak-universality behavior as in the classical J1-J2 model, but with a mapping to a different known class of c = 1 conformal field theories. The critical behavior of the system again shows continuously changing exponents, in a way which corresponds to a gradual weakening of Z4 symmetry-breaking to an emergent U(1) symmetry. In the study of dimerized antiferromagnets, I report on a universal behavior of the Néel temperature TN, which can be related to ground state parameters independently of the microscopic interaction details in several different models.
In their 1978 paper, Dyson, Lieb, and Simon (DLS) proved the existence of Ne'el order at positive temperature for the spin-S Heisenberg antiferromagnet on the d-dimensional hypercubic lattice when either S >= 1 and d >= 3 or S=1/2 and d is sufficiently large. This was the first proof of spontaneous breaking of a continuous symmetry in a quantum model at finite temperature. Since then the ideas of DLS have been extended and adapted to a variety of other problems. In this paper I will present an overview of the most important developments in the study of the Heisenberg model and related quantum lattice systems since 1978, including but not restricted to those directly related to the paper by DLS.
Quantum phase transition in the spin-boson model was claimed on the basis of various numerical studies, but not strictly proven. Here by using a unitary transformation to decompose the Hamiltonian into two branches of odd and even parity we obtained the necessary and sufficient condition for degeneracy to occur between states of opposite parity in the spin-boson model, and the analytical expression for such degenerate energies. It can be strictly proven that the ground state of spin-boson model with non-vanishing tunneling amplitude must have an energy lower than the lowest possible such degenerate energy, and have definite parity. Starting from the invariancy of the parity operator we show that finite expansion by numerical calculation induces the breaking of parity symmetry responsible for the phase transition. The critical dissipation parameter we obtained for parity-symmetry breaking, as a logarithmic function of summed diagonal matrix elements in the finite expansion for the bosonic part of the parity operator, can reproduce the phase diagram derived with quantum Monte Carlo method and logarithmically discretized numberical renormalization group approach. It reveals that the quantum phase transition in spin-boson model claimed by numerical procedures arises from symmetry breaking caused by finite expansion in practical calculation. The method we developed here may also be applicable to the discussion of quantum chaos and other similar problems.