Renormalisation group methods are used to calculate to first order in epsilon =4-d the momentum dependent correlation function of an Ising-like model in the critical region for arbitrary momentum, temperature and external field. The results give an interpolation between various asymptotic limits.
These lectures describe the physics of phase transitions and critical phenomena. After introducing the thermodynamics of phase transitions, these general considerations are made explicit by presenting statistical mechanical calculations on a lattice gas model in the mean-field approximation. Then the Landau theory of phase transitions is presented. The form of free energy in the Landau theory is motivated by an explicit mean field calculation for the Ising model. This is followed by a discussion of spatial correlations and the breakdown of the mean field theory due to increase of spatial fluctuations near the critical point. This calculation also brings out the role of dimension of the system for the critical behaviour. The basic ideas of Renormalization Group (RG) are then introduced and illustrated by a simple RG calculation for the one-dimensional Ising model. Real-space RG calculations are then applied to the two-dimensional Ising model on the triangular lattice, which, in fact, brings forth several key features of the RG technique. A discussion of more general aspects of the RG formalism, such as scaling for spatial correlation functions, relevant and irrelevant couplings, universality, upper critical dimension, etc. are introduced.
A detailed calculation, to order ${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}^{2} (\ensuremath{\epsilon}=4\ensuremath{-}d)$, of the two-point-correlation function of an Ising-like system in the whole critical region is presented. The scaling function is shown to be a cut-off-independent function of two variables which is universal in the context of a sharp cut off. Explicit asymptotic expansions in the large and small momentum (relative to the inverse correlation length) are given. Particular attention is paid to the corrections from the Ornstein-Zernike theory. These corrections are two orders of magnitude larger below Tc than above. Numerical comparison with series-expansion results agree surprisingly well. A powerful technique of evaluating diagrams using the Fourier transform of the propagator is also presented.
With the aid of Nelson's method we derive expressions for the frequency-, momentum-, and temperature-dependent response function below a critical point in the Ising-type system. The scaling function is given within the renormalization-group formalism at one-loop order for zero external field. The comparison with the corresponding expressions above Tc and with the mean-field approximation is made. We also discuss the dynamic correlation function, focusing on the deviations from the Gaussian expression. The comparison with field-theoretical calculations is also given.