The analysis of renormalisation group equations for the q-state Potts model in two dimensions is generalised to include the presence of a surface field H s besides the bulk one, H B . Combined with conformal invariance results, this allows prediction of a surface susceptibility behaviour delta 2/f delta H s delta H B approximately L -1/8 (1-C'lnL) 15/16 for a q=4 system of size L at the critical temperature. This prediction is checked by a Monte Carlo based finite-size scaling analysis, which also nicely reproduces the exact and conjectured magnetic surface exponents for q=2 and 3, respectively. For the Baxter-Wu model similar methods give results consistent with the q=4 behaviour without logarithmic corrections (c'=0).
The analysis of renormalisation group equations for the q-state Potts model in two dimensions is generalised to include the presence of a surface field H s besides the bulk one, H B . Combined with conformal invariance results, this allows prediction of a surface susceptibility behaviour delta 2/f delta H s delta H B approximately L -1/8 (1-C'lnL) 15/16 for a q=4 system of size L at the critical temperature. This prediction is checked by a Monte Carlo based finite-size scaling analysis, which also nicely reproduces the exact and conjectured magnetic surface exponents for q=2 and 3, respectively. For the Baxter-Wu model similar methods give results consistent with the q=4 behaviour without logarithmic corrections (c'=0).
A review is given of recent work on the ordinary surface critical behaviour of systems in two dimensions. Several models of interest in statistical mechanics are considered: Potts model, percolation, Ising clusters, ZN-model, O(n) model and polymers. Numerical results for surface exponents, obtained by suitable finite size scaling extrapolations, are discussed in the light of recent advances based on the conformal invariance approach. Surface exponents are often seen as important tests of conformal invariance predictions. In other cases these exponents provide important information for a location of the problem within the classification schemes offered by the conformal approach, and a determination of its universality class. A relevant example of the first aspect is the study of the q-state Potts model with q near 4, for which an analytical study of logarithmic scaling corrections is needed to achieve a successful test. The latter point of view applies, e.g., to the more controversial cases of polymers at the theta point and critical Ising clusters. Emphasis is put on the importance of an integrated study of both bulk and surface properties. Relevant issues, like the possible existence of analytical expressions for the indices in particular model families, or of general relationships between bulk and surface exponents, are critically discussed. The new problem of critical behaviour at fractal boundaries is also considered for random (RW) and self-avoiding walks (SAW). From the numerical analysis of this problem remarkable universalities of the surface exponents seem to emerge, which, in the case of SAW’s, are still far from being understood.
The Q-state Potts model in two dimensions in the presence of external magnetic fields is studied. For general special choices of these magnetic fields produce effective models with smaller symmetry . The phase diagram of these models and their critical behaviour are explored by conventional finite-size scaling and conformal invariance. The possibility of multicritical behaviour, for finite values of the symmetry-breaking fields, in the cases where Q > 4 is also analysed. Our results indicate that for effective models with symmetry the multicritical point occurs at zero field. This last result is also corroborated by Monte Carlo simulations.
Within a real space renormalisation group framework which uses rather sophisticated clusters, the authors discuss the phase diagram and the universality classes of a semi-infinite cubic-lattice q-state Potts ferromagnet. In particular, they study the influence, on the surface magnetism, of q and Delta identical to J S /J B -1 (where J S and J B are respectively the surface and bulk coupling constants). The exact d=2 critical temperature T c 2D is recovered for all values of q. The q-dependence of the value Delta c above which surface magnetic order can exist even if the bulk is disordered, is calculated and, through a convenient extrapolation, reliable results are obtained (for the Ising particular case, i.e. q=2, they obtain the extrapolated value Delta c =0.569, which compares satisfactorily with the series result 0.6+or-0.1 and the Monte Carlo one, 0.50+or-0.03). At the surface-bulk (SB) multicritical point they calculate the q-dependences of the critical amplitude A and the crossover exponent phi (defined in the Delta to Delta c +0 limit through (T c S ( Delta )/T c 3D -1) approximately A( Delta / Delta c -1) 1 phi /, where T c S ( Delta ) and T c 3D identical to T c S ( Delta c ) respectively are the surface and the bulk critical temperatures), as well as the critical exponent y t1 SB . For the Ising particular case they obtain phi equivalent to 0.641 (which compares satisfactorily with the epsilon -expansion (0.68) and the Monte Carlo (0.56+or-0.04) results), A equivalent to 0.4 and 1/y t1 SB equivalent to 1.623. (As far as we know, no series or Monte Carlo results are available in the literature for A or 1/y t1 SB .).
Using suitable Monte Carlo methods and finite-size scaling, we investigate critical and tricritical surface phenomena of two-dimensional Potts models. For the critical two- and three-state models, we determine a surface scaling dimension describing percolation properties of the so-called Potts clusters near the edges. On this basis, we propose an exact expression describing this exponent for the whole critical branch. For tricritical Potts models we find that varying the surface coupling constant or the surface magnetic field can induce a continuous phase transition. At bulk tricriticality and sufficiently strong surface couplings, spontaneous one-dimensional order occurs on the edges. We determine several critical exponents describing these edge transitions. On the basis of these results and conformal field theory, we conjecture exact expressions for these exponents.
We determine the backbone exponent X(b) of several critical and tricritical q-state Potts models in two dimensions. The critical systems include the bond percolation, the Ising, the q=2-sqrt[3], 3, and 4 state Potts, and the Baxter-Wu model, and the tricritical ones include the q=1 Potts model and the Blume-Capel model. For this purpose, we formulate several efficient Monte Carlo methods and sample the probability P2 of a pair of points connected via at least two independent paths. Finite-size-scaling analysis of P2 yields X(b) as 0.3566(2), 0.2696(3), 0.2105(3), and 0.127(4) for the critical q=2-sqrt[3], 1,2, 3, and 4 state Potts model, respectively. At tricriticality, we obtain X(b)=0.0520(3) and 0.0753(6) for the q=1 and 2 Potts model, respectively. For the critical q-->0 Potts model it is derived that X(b)=3/4. From a scaling argument, we find that, at tricriticality, X(b) reduces to the magnetic exponent, as confirmed by the numerical results.