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International Journal of Modern Physics B

Fully-Finite Two-Dimensional Critical Systems: Casimir Terms and Instabilities

Peter H. Kleban, Ingo Perchel

Published Jan 20, 1997• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We review recent results for the universal part of the free energy of fully-finite two-dimensional regions at criticality. Their effect on the total free energy is considered. Including non-universal edge free energy terms leads to various Casimir instabilities toward elongation, sharp corners on the boundary, and other behavior. Universal features of certain matrix elements of the transfer matrix and corner transfer matrix are also obtained.

DOI
10.1142/s0217979297000174

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We review recent results for the universal part of the free energy of fully-finite two-dimensional regions at criticality. Their effect on the total free energy is considered. Including non-universal edge free energy terms leads to various Casimir instabilities toward elongation, sharp corners on the boundary, and other behavior. Universal features of certain matrix elements of the transfer matrix and corner transfer matrix are also obtained.
A scaling framework is developed for the emergence of the universal finite-size correction (ulnL)L2\frac{(u\mathrm{ln}L)}{{L}^{2}}L2(ulnL)​, recently found by Cardy and Peschel in the free-energy density of the two-dimensional (2D) conformally invariant models at Tc{T}_{c}Tc​. Our approach applies in the critical region $T\ensuremath{\simeq}{T}_{\mathrm{cZ}}$, and accounts for the universality of uuu, but not its value. We predict a similar universal term, (ulnL)L3\frac{(u\mathrm{ln}L)}{{L}^{3}}L3(ulnL)​, in 3D. We also find that the "corner" free energy in the bulk ($L=\ensuremath{\infty}$) has the leading singular behavior ($\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\nu}u\mathrm{ln}|t|$).
Abstract Based on the results published recently (Hucht 2017 J. Phys. A: Math. Theor . 50 065201), the universal finite-size contributions to the free energy of the square lattice Ising model on the L × M rectangle, with open boundary conditions in both directions, are calculated exactly in the finite-size scaling limit L , M → ∞ , T → T c , with fixed temperature scaling variable x ∝ ( T / T c − 1 ) M and fixed aspect ratio ρ ∝ L / M . We derive exponentially fast converging series for the related Casimir potential and Casimir force scaling functions. At the critical point T = T c we confirm predictions from conformal field theory (Cardy and Peschel 1988 Nucl. Phys . B 300 377, Kleban and Vassileva 1991 J. Phys. A: Math. Gen . 24 3407). The presence of corners and the related corner free energy has dramatic impact on the Casimir scaling functions and leads to a logarithmic divergence of the Casimir potential scaling function at criticality.
We show that for conformally invariant two-dimensional systems, the amplitude of the finite-size corrections to the free energy of an infinitely long strip of width L at criticality is linearly related to the conformal anomaly number c, for various boundary conditions. The result is confirmed by renormalization-group arguments and numerical calculations. It is also related to the magnitude of the Casimir effect in an interacting one-dimensional field theory, and to the low-temperature specific heat in quantum chains.
Abstract We present a systematic method to calculate the universal scaling functions for the critical Casimir force and the according potential of the two-dimensional Ising model with various boundary conditions. Therefore we start with the dimer representation of the corresponding partition function Z on an L × M square lattice, wrapped around a torus with aspect ratio ρ = L / M . By assuming periodic boundary conditions and translational invariance in at least one direction, we systematically reduce the problem to a 2 × 2 transfer matrix representation. For the torus we first reproduce the results by Kaufman and then give a detailed calculation of the scaling functions. Afterwards we present the calculation for the cylinder with open boundary conditions. All scaling functions are given in form of combinations of infinite products and integrals. Our results reproduce the known scaling functions in the limit of thin films ρ → 0 . Additionally, for the cylinder at criticality our results confirm the predictions from conformal field theory.
We derive an exact formula for the corner free-energy contribution of weakly anisotropic two-dimensional critical systems in the Ising universality class on rectangular domains, expressed in terms of quantities that specify the anisotropic fluctuations. The resulting expression agrees with numerical exact calculations that we perform for the anisotropic triangular Ising model and quantifies the nonuniversality of the corner term for anisotropic critical two-dimensional systems. Our generic formula is expected to apply also to other weakly-anisotropic critical two-dimensional systems that allow for a conformal field theory description in the isotropic limit. We consider the three-states and four-states Potts models as further specific examples.
The quantum critical behavior of the (2 + 1)-dimensional Gross-Neveu model in the vicinity of its zero-temperature critical point is considered.The model is known to be renormalisable in the large-N limit, which offers the possibility to obtain expressions for various thermodynamic functions in closed form.We have used the concept of finite-size scaling to extract information about the leading temperature behavior of the free energy and the mass term, defined by the fermionic condensate and determined the crossover lines in the coupling (g)-temperature (T ) plane.These are given by T ∼ |g -gc|, where gc denotes the critical coupling at zero temperature.According to our analysis no spontaneous symmetry breaking survives at finite temperature.We have found that the leading temperature behavior of the fermionic condensate is proportional to the temperature with the critical amplitude √ 5 3 π.The scaling function of the singular part of the free energy is found to exhibit a maximum at ln 2 2π corresponding to one of the crossover lines.The critical amplitude of the singular part of the free energy is given by the universal number 1 3 1 2π ζ(3) -Cl2 π 3 = -0.274543 . .., where ζ(z) and Cl2(z) are the Riemann zeta and Clausen's functions, respectively.Interpreted in terms of the thermodynamic Casimir effect, this result implies an attractive Casimir "force".This study is expected to be useful in shedding light on a broader class of four fermionic models.