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Journal of Physics A Mathematical and Theoretical

Energy level structure and quantum phase transitions of spin systems with nonaxially symmetric Hamiltonians

Enrique López‐Moreno, M. Grether, Víctor Velázquez

Published Nov 2, 2011• 9 citations
Publisher

Abstract

A general spin system with a nonaxially symmetric Hamiltonian containing Jx, Jz-linear and Jz-quadratic terms, widely used in many-body fermionic and bosonic systems and in molecular magnetism, is considered for the variations of general parameters describing intensity interaction changes of each of its terms. For this model Hamiltonian, a semiclassical energy surface (ES) is obtained by means of the coherent-state formalism. An analysis of this ES function, based on catastrophe theory, determines the separatrix in the control parameter space of the system Hamiltonian: the loci of singularities representing semiclassical phase transitions. Here we show that distinct regions of qualitatively different spectrum structures, as well as a singular behavior of quantum states, are ruled by this separatrix: here we show that the separatrix not only describes ground-state singularities, which have been associated with quantum phase transitions, but also reveals the structure of the excited spectrum, distinguishing different quantum phases within the parameter space. Finally, we consider magnetic susceptibility and heat capacity of the system at finite temperature, in order to study thermal properties and thermodynamical phase transitions in the perspective of the separatrix of this Hamiltonian system.

DOI
10.1088/1751-8113/44/47/475301

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A general spin system with a nonaxially symmetric Hamiltonian containing Jx, Jz-linear and Jz-quadratic terms, widely used in many-body fermionic and bosonic systems and in molecular magnetism, is considered for the variations of general parameters describing intensity interaction changes of each of its terms. For this model Hamiltonian, a semiclassical energy surface (ES) is obtained by means of the coherent-state formalism. An analysis of this ES function, based on catastrophe theory, determines the separatrix in the control parameter space of the system Hamiltonian: the loci of singularities representing semiclassical phase transitions. Here we show that distinct regions of qualitatively different spectrum structures, as well as a singular behavior of quantum states, are ruled by this separatrix: here we show that the separatrix not only describes ground-state singularities, which have been associated with quantum phase transitions, but also reveals the structure of the excited spectrum, distinguishing different quantum phases within the parameter space. Finally, we consider magnetic susceptibility and heat capacity of the system at finite temperature, in order to study thermal properties and thermodynamical phase transitions in the perspective of the separatrix of this Hamiltonian system.
Abstract We present a study on systems of single-molecule magnet systems using semiclassical analysis and catastrophe theory. Separatrices in the parameter space are constructed, which are useful for determining the structure of the Hamiltonian energy levels. In particular the Maxwell set separatrix determines the behaviour of the ground state of the system. We consider an external magnetic field with two components: one parallel to the easy magnetisation axis of the molecule and the other perpendicular to it. Using fidelity and heat capacity we were able to detect the signals of the quantum phase transitions as a function of the magnetic field components.
An analysis of the classical and quantum phase transitions of the Lipkin-Meshkov-Glick model is presented. It is shown that the classical dynamics is ruled by the energy surface of the system. Applying the catastrophe formalism to this energy surface the separatrix is obtained. It determines the regions in the control parameter space where there are phase transitions. Special attention is given to the compositions of ground and first-excited energy states, which are well described by the even and odd SU(2) coherent states. Phase transitions are shown to be associated with a change in the wave functions from collective to single-particle behavior. Evaluating the distribution of nearest-neighbor spacings it is shown that the separatrix of the system emerges as a useful tool to describe the global behavior of the quantum-level structure and their corresponding wave functions.
Phase transitions for an open system consisting of an ensemble of interacting quantum subsystems with discrete spectrum are studied in the mean-field approximation. In the considered model, the change of an internal symmetry of a thermodynamic system upon the second-order phase transition is due to changing symmetry of distribution of charge/spin density inside each quantum subsystem. The latter can be caused by either splitting of one of lowest degenerated energy level or closing a gap between the levels and appearance of avoided crossing. The effect of external parameters (pressure, field, composition, etc.) results in direct change of internal control parameters: level spacing and/or the strength of interaction between adjacent quantum subsystems. Considering a simplest case of the two-level quantum subsystems, expressions for the free energy as a function of the internal control parameters were obtained in analytical form. The behavior of the heat capacity and susceptibility for different regions of the low-temperature phase diagram including the area of quantum fluctuations was determined.
Abstract The dynamical properties of the Lipkin–Meshkov–Glick model with longitudinal and transverse fields are studied by considering quantum quenches. The model describes a many-body quantum system with long-range interactions. A semiclassical analysis is performed to obtain the critical points of quantum phase transitions. These critical points consist in the static separatrix, which is found by analyzing the stability structure of the semiclassical potential and is useful in the identification of ground state and excited states quantum phase transitions, and in the dynamical separatrix, which depends on initial conditions and is found by studying the classical equations of motion for the Hamiltonian. The static and dynamical separatrices divide the parameter space in regions of different dynamical behavior, and it is found that both separatrices play an important role in the determination of the occurrences of the dynamical quantum phase transitions. Graphical abstract
Quantum phase transitions are currently studied in several fields of physics, as examples one finds: in nuclear physics the shape phase transitions within the Interacting Boson Model; in quantum optics two level atoms interacting with a one mode electromagnetic radiation in a cavity; and in condensed matter in the analysis of the behavior of spin systems. In this contribution we employ the fidelity and its susceptibility, two concepts widely used in quantum information theory, to determine the quantum phase transitions of the Lipkin-Meshkov-Glick (LMG) model together with its scaling properties. By means of these concepts, we propose a quantum method to determine the crossings and anti-crossings present in a model Hamiltonian as a function of the control parameters of the model. A review of the separatrix of the LMG model is done to compare the results obtained by means of quantum information concepts with those related with the singular behavior of the energy surface of the model, which is the expectation value of the Hamiltonian with respect to spin coherent states.