For pt.I see ibid., vol.14, p.241-57 (1981). Two efficient methods for finding the low-lying states of Hamiltonians on finite lattices are described. The first involves constructing a finite representation of the Hamiltonian using strong-coupling eigenstates, while the second is based on the Lanczos recursion method. The methods are used to determine the mass gap of the O(2) and O(3) Heisenberg Hamiltonians in (1+1) dimensions for a sequence of finite chains. The critical behaviour of the infinite chain is then analysed by extrapolating the finite-lattice estimates using finite-size scaling. A remarkably sensitive test is developed for the presence of a phase transition. For the O(2) model data this test yields strong evidence for a phase transition with the weak-coupling phase massless, while, in the O(3) case the test supports, although more weakly, the absence of any transition.
This thesis is concerned with the finite lattice study of spin models. The underlying theme in Parts I and II is the exploitation of Bethe ansatz equations to provide finite lattice data well beyond the range normally available. In Part I the Bethe ansatz equations for eigenvalues of the eight-vertex model are solved numerically to yield mass gap data on infinitely long strips of up to 512 sites in width. The finite-size corrections, at criticality, to the free energy per site and polarization gap are found to agree with recent studies of the XXZ spin chain. The leading corrections to the finite-size scaling estimates of the critical line and thermal exponent are also found, providing an explanation of the poor convergence seen in earlier studies. Away from criticality, the linear scaling fields are derived exactly in the full parameter space of the spin system, allowing a thorough test of a recently proposed method of extracting linear scaling fields and related exponents from finite lattice data. In Part II, the numerical solutions of the Bethe ansatz equations for the eigen-energies of the XXZ Hamiltonian on very large chains are used to identify, via conformal invariance, the scaling dimensions of various two-dimensional models. With periodic boundary conditions, eight-vertex and Gaussian model operators are found. The scaling dimensions of the Ashkm-Teller and Potts models are obtained by the exact relating of eigenstates of their quantum Hamiltonians to those of the XXZ chain with modified boundary conditions. Eigenstates of the Ashkin-Teller and Potts models with free boundaries are also obtained, allowing an examination of their critical surface properties. In Part HI the critical behaviour of an Ising model with competing firstand third- nearest neighbour interactions on the square lattice is investigated using the finite lattice method. In the ferromagnetic region, the phase boundary is located with an accuracy at least equal to that of alternative methods. In the antiphase region, distinctive structure in the finite lattice estimators is found over an extended temperature range. However, the nature of the transition remains unclear.
This is a study of finite lattice methods applied to quantum spin models on one and two dimensional lattices.The motivation for the use of these techniques is provided by placing them in the context of the wider field of approximation methods in the statistical mechanics of spin models.After reviewing previous finite lattice calculations on quantum spin models, the theory needed to efficiently generate and analyse finite lattice data is given.Finite lattice calculations on three quantum spin models are then presented.The first calculation provides an estimate of the transverse susceptibility of the one dimensional antiferromagnetic XY model, by extrapolation from calculations on rings of up to 10 sites.Good convergence is found for KB T ~ 0•4 and these results are compared with recent c -axis susceptibility measurements on the compound Cs 2 CoC1 4 .Chapters 5 and 6 study the quantum hamiltonian analog of the two dimensional axial next nearest neighbour Ising model, A perturbation analysis using non degenerate Rayleigh-Schrodingerperturbation theory is followed by a mass gap scaling analysis.These analyses provide accurate phase boundaries for, and ellucidate several interesting features of, the phase diagram of this model.In particular, the model is shown to exhibit a phase whose modulation varies continuously with a change in the interaction parameters in the hamiltonian.This "modulated" phase region lies between a normal ordered phase and a paramagnetic phase.Evid~nce is given that the transition from the paramagnetic to modulated phase is exponential in nature.The third model studied is a spin 1 biquadratic Heisenberg model with hamiltonian,<ij> (Jl s .. s. +J2(~ . .~.)2). 1 J 1 J Accurate estimates of the ground state energy in both one and two dimensions are found by calculating this quantity on 4,6,8 and 10 site lattices.Comment is made about the ground state phase diagram, and about the existence of intermediate spin states and states with a complicated magnetic ordering.The thesis concludes by commenting on the performance of finite lattice methods in the three models studied and by outlining certain directions for future advance., ACKNOWLEVGEMENTS I would like to express
A brief review is given of the ‘effective Lagrangian’ approach of Leutwyler, Hasenfratz and others, which describes the behaviour at low energies or temperatures, or large distances, in lattice systems which undergo a first-order transition involving spontaneous breakdown of a continuous symmetry. Universal predictions can be given, based on a continuum field theory of the massless Goldstone bosons generated by the breakdown of the symmetry, which control the behaviour in these regimes. In particular, the finite-size scaling behaviour can be predicted, in a way very similar to the predictions of conformal invariance for a two-dimensional system at a critical point. Conversely, measurements of the finite-size scaling behaviour can give estimates of the parameters of the Goldstone bosons. These points are illustrated using data for the O(2) Heisenberg spin model in (2+1) dimensions, and the XXZ antiferromagnet on a square lattice.
In this paper we propose an efficient routine to carry out finite size scaling studies of one-dimensional massive lattice models. Unlike massless systems, for which the lattice and continuum models yield the same results for low-lying excitations due to the infinite correlation length, the massive continuum models can at best approximate their lattice counterparts because of the intrinsic length scale $\ensuremath{\xi}\ensuremath{\sim}{\ensuremath{\Delta}}^{\ensuremath{-}1},$ where $\ensuremath{\Delta}$ is the mass gap. On examples of antiferromagnetic gapped spin-1/2
XXZ chains we show explicitly that several relations between physical quantities like the mass gap, spin-wave velocity
v, and the correlation length \ensuremath{\xi}, derived from the continuum models deviate significantly from the numerical results obtained for finite chains, when $\ensuremath{\xi}$ is comparable with the lattice spacing
a0. On the other hand, we find if the dispersion for elementary excitations is modified from the ``Lorentz invariant'' form $\sqrt{{\ensuremath{\Delta}}^{2}{+v}^{2}{p}^{2}}$ to $\sqrt{{\ensuremath{\Delta}}^{2}{+v}^{2}{\mathrm{sin}}^{2}p},$ the spin-wave velocity
v becomes almost size independent, and the appropriately defined correlation length using that dispersion agrees very well with numerical results. In fact, this follows from the Bethe ansatz solution for the spin-1/2
XXZ chains. Based on our previous experience and these considerations we propose scaling equations to obtain the ground-state energy, mass gap, correlation length, spin-wave velocity, and scattering length between the massive elementary excitations. Only three low energy levels are needed in this method. Although the method is illustrated on the gapped
XXZ quantum spins, it is applicable to all one-dimensional lattice models with massive relativistic low energy dispersions. To substantiate our statement we show explicitly that the numerical data for the Ising model in a transverse magnetic field fully agree with the finite-size scaling based on the correlation length newly defined from the exact analytic solution.