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Physical Review Letters

Scaling and critical slowing down in random-field Ising systems

Daniel S. Fisher

Published Feb 3, 1986• 471 citations
Publisher

Abstract

A simple scaling description of the ordering transition in random-field Ising systems is developed and supported by renormalization-group arguments in terms of a zero-temperature critical fixed point. The main prediction is that the characteristic relaxation time \ensuremath{\tau} will diverge extremely rapidly as the critical point is approached: \ensuremath{\tau}\ensuremath{\sim}exp(${\ensuremath{\xi}}^{\mathrm{theta}}$) with \ensuremath{\xi} the correlation length and theta the ``violation of hyperscaling'' exponent (d-theta)\ensuremath{\nu}=2-\ensuremath{\alpha}. Recent experiments which exhibit onset of hysteresis in a very narrow temperature range are discussed.

DOI
10.1103/physrevlett.56.416

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A simple scaling description of the ordering transition in random-field Ising systems is developed and supported by renormalization-group arguments in terms of a zero-temperature critical fixed point. The main prediction is that the characteristic relaxation time \ensuremath{\tau} will diverge extremely rapidly as the critical point is approached: \ensuremath{\tau}\ensuremath{\sim}exp(\ensuremathξtheta{\ensuremath{\xi}}^{\mathrm{theta}}\ensuremathξtheta) with \ensuremath{\xi} the correlation length and theta the ``violation of hyperscaling'' exponent (d-theta)\ensuremath{\nu}=2-\ensuremath{\alpha}. Recent experiments which exhibit onset of hysteresis in a very narrow temperature range are discussed.
The random-field Ising model shows an extreme critical slowdown that has been described by activated dynamic scaling: The characteristic time of relaxation toward equilibrium diverges exponentially with the correlation length $ln\ensuremath{\tau}\ensuremath{\sim}{\ensuremath{\xi}}^{\ensuremath{\psi}}/T$, with $\ensuremath{\psi}$ an a priori unknown barrier exponent. Through a nonperturbative functional renormalization group, we show that for spatial dimensions ddd less than a critical value ${d}_{\text{DR}}\ensuremath{\simeq}5.1$, also associated with dimensional-reduction breakdown, $\ensuremath{\psi}=\ensuremath{\theta}$ with $\ensuremath{\theta}$ the temperature exponent near the zero-temperature fixed point that controls the critical behavior. For d>dDRd>{d}_{\text{DR}}d>dDR​, on the other hand, $\ensuremath{\psi}=\ensuremath{\theta}\ensuremath{-}2\ensuremath{\lambda}$, where $\ensuremath{\theta}=2$ and $\ensuremath{\lambda}>0$ an additional exponent. At the upper critical dimension $d=6,\ensuremath{\lambda}=1$, so that $\ensuremath{\psi}=0$, and activated scaling gives way to conventional scaling. We give a physical interpretation of the results in terms of collective events in real space, avalanches, and droplets. We also propose a way to check the two regimes by computer simulations of long-range one-dimensional systems.
We show that the hyperscaling law is modified whenever the relevant fixed point of the renormalization-group transformation is at zero temperature (infinite coupling). Instead of 2-\ensuremath{\alpha}=d\ensuremath{\nu}, the hyperscaling law now reads 2-\ensuremath{\alpha}=d'\ensuremath{\nu} where d' is the anomalous dimension which is equal to d-\ensuremath{\Vert}y\ensuremath{\Vert} and y is the exponent for the leading irrelevant operator that flows to zero temperature. We discuss the random-field Ising model in detail. We also perform a numerical domain-wall renormalization-group analysis for the d=3 model. For a Gaussian random-field distribution, our results are consistent with a second-order transition at low temperatures, and \ensuremath{\Vert}y\ensuremath{\Vert} is found to be 1.3--1.7. For a \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}h distribution, the transition appears to be first order at T=0. .AE
In extensive Monte Carlo simulations the phase transition of the random-field Ising model in three dimensions is investigated. The values of the critical exponents are determined via finite-size scaling. For a Gaussian distribution of the random fields it is found that the correlation length \ensuremath{\xi} diverges with an exponent \ensuremath{\nu}=1.1\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.2 at the critical temperature and that \ensuremath{\chi}\ensuremath{\sim}${\ensuremath{\xi}}^{2\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{\ensuremath{\eta}}}$ with \ensuremath{\eta}=0.50\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.05 for the connected susceptibility and ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\chi}}}_{\mathrm{dis}}$\ensuremath{\sim}${\ensuremath{\xi}}^{4\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{\ensuremath{\eta}}\mathrm{\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{}}}$ with \ensuremath{\eta}\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{}=1.03\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.05 for the disconnected susceptibility. Together with the amplitude ratio A=${\mathrm{lim}}_{\mathit{T}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\mathit{T}\mathit{c}}$${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\chi}}}_{\mathrm{dis}}$/${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\chi}}}^{2}$(hr{\mathit{h}}_{\mathit{r}}hr​/T)2{)}^{2})2 being close to one this gives further support for a two-exponent scaling scenario implying \ensuremath{\eta}\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{}=2\ensuremath{\eta}. The magnetization behaves discontinuously at the transition, i.e., \ensuremath{\beta}=0. However, no divergence for the specific heat and in particular no latent heat is found. Also the probability distribution of the magnetization does not show a multipeak structure that would be characteristic for the phase-coexistence at first-order phase-transition points.
The scaling laws derived by Grinstein (1976) for the random-field Ising model (RFIM) are rederived on the assumption that the transition is second order and that the critical behaviour is controlled by a zero-temperature fixed point. The scaling laws involve three independent exponents nu , eta and gamma , the last appearing in a modified hyperscaling relation, 2- alpha =(d-y) nu . It is argued that such hyperscaling modifications are a general feature of phase transitions controlled by zero-temperature fixed points. Explicit evaluation of the RFIM exponents in d=2+ epsilon dimensions, yields, to order epsilon , 1/ nu = epsilon , eta =1- epsilon /2 and y=1+ epsilon /2. The exponent nu is different from that of the pure model in (d-y) dimensions implying that no exact 'dimensional reduction' is possible near two dimensions.
Hysteresis loops are often seen in experiments at first-order phase transformations, when the system goes out of equilibrium. They may have a macroscopic jump (roughly as in the supercooling of liquids) or they may be smoothly varying (as seen in most magnets). We have studied the nonequilibrium zero-temperature random-field Ising-model as a model for hysteretic behavior at first-order phase transformations. As disorder is added, one finds a transition where the jump in the magnetization (corresponding to an infinite avalanche) decreases to zero. At this transition we find a diverging length scale, power-law distributions of noise (avalanches), and universal behavior. We expand the critical exponents about mean-field theory in 6-\ensuremath{\epsilon} dimensions. Using a mapping to the pure Ising model, we Borel sum the 6-\ensuremath{\epsilon} expansion to O(${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\epsilon}}}^{5}$) for the correlation length exponent. We have developed a method for directly calculating avalanche distribution exponents, which we perform to O(\ensuremath{\epsilon}). Our analytical predictions agree with numerical exponents in two, three, four, and five dimensions [Perkovi\ifmmode \acute{c}\else \'{c}\fi{} et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 75, 4528 (1995)]. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
Analytic phenomenological scaling is carried out for the random field Ising model in general dimensions d using a bar geometry. Domain wall configurations and their decorated profiles and associated wandering and other exponents (ζ,γ,δ,μ) are obtained by free-energy minimization. Scaling between different bar widths provides the renormalization group (RG) transformation. Its consequences are i) criticality at h = T = 0 in d ⩽ 2 with correlation length ξ( h , T ) diverging like ξ( h ,0) ∝ h −2/(2 − d ) for d < 2 and ξ( h ,0) ∝ exp [1/( c 1 γ h γ )] for d = 2, where c 1 is a decoration constant; ii) criticality in d = 2 + ε dimensions at T = 0, h * = (ε/2 c 1 ) 1/γ , where ξ ∝ [( s − s *)/ s ] −2ε/γ , s ≡ h γ . Finite-temperature generalizations are outlined. Numerical transfer matrix calculations and results from a ground-state algorithm adapted for strips in d = 2 confirm the ingredients which provide the RG description.