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Physical review. B, Condensed matter

Surface critical behavior of inhomogeneous semi-infinite systems

R. Z. Bariev, Loïc Turban

Published May 1, 1992• 7 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We study the local critical behavior near the free surface of a d-dimensional system with a smooth inhomogeneity induced by a defect of dimension ${\mathit{d}}^{\mathrm{*}}$\ensuremath{\le}d-1 located on the surface. The couplings deviate from their bulk critical value by \ensuremath{\lambda}${\mathit{r}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\perp}}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{\ensuremath{\alpha}}}$ where ${\mathit{r}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\perp}}}$ is the distance to the center of the defect. Using a phenomenological approach, the change in the surface critical exponents is calculated to first order in the perturbation amplitude \ensuremath{\lambda} when the system is marginal, i.e., when the decay exponent of the perturbation \ensuremath{\alpha} is equal to the scaling dimension ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\varepsilon}}}^{0}$ of the bulk energy-density operator. Finally, the critical behavior near extended defects in the bulk is compared to the surface case.

DOI
10.1103/physrevb.45.10761

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We study the local critical behavior near the free surface of a d-dimensional system with a smooth inhomogeneity induced by a defect of dimension d∗{\mathit{d}}^{\mathrm{*}}d∗\ensuremath{\le}d-1 located on the surface. The couplings deviate from their bulk critical value by \ensuremath{\lambda}r\ensuremath⊥\ensuremath−\ensuremathα{\mathit{r}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\perp}}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{\ensuremath{\alpha}}}r\ensuremath⊥\ensuremath−\ensuremathα​ where r\ensuremath⊥{\mathit{r}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\perp}}}r\ensuremath⊥​ is the distance to the center of the defect. Using a phenomenological approach, the change in the surface critical exponents is calculated to first order in the perturbation amplitude \ensuremath{\lambda} when the system is marginal, i.e., when the decay exponent of the perturbation \ensuremath{\alpha} is equal to the scaling dimension \ensuremathΔ\ensuremathε0{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\varepsilon}}}^{0}\ensuremathΔ\ensuremathε0​ of the bulk energy-density operator. Finally, the critical behavior near extended defects in the bulk is compared to the surface case.
We discuss the universality classes of the local critical behavior of a bulk system near a free surface and near an internal plane of defects. A phase diagram and plausible renormalization-group flow properties for a general model which encompasses both cases are described qualitatively. Several of the crossover exponents are related to bulk critical exponents or semi-infinite surface critical exponents. The picture which is proposed accomodates systems with nonuniversal local critical exponents near a plane of defects, such as the two-dimensional Ising model near a defect line, in a natural way. Necessary conditions for nonuniversal local critical exponents and for logarithmic corrections are derived. The singularities of the energy densities near a free surface and near an internal defect plane on approaching the bulk critical temperature are analyzed.
The local critical behavior of the ddd-dimensional nnn-vector model near an internal $d\ensuremath{-}1$ dimensional plane of weakened interactions in the limit $n\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty}$ changes qualitatively at d=3d=3d=3. For d>3d>3d>3 the critical exponent ${\ensuremath{\eta}}_{\ensuremath{\parallel}}$, which characterizes the correlation of spins in the defect plane, is universal, i.e., is independent of the strength of the interactions in the defect plane. We argue that ${\ensuremath{\eta}}_{\ensuremath{\parallel}}$ is nonuniversal for d=3d=3d=3 and calculate its dependence on the difference between the defect and bulk couplings to second order in perturbation theory. We show that the excess energy density at a distance zzz from the defect plane decays at the critical point to the bulk value as ${z}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$ for $d\ensuremath{\ge}3$ and faster than ${z}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$ for d<3d<3d<3. Near the free surface of a semi-infinite system one finds a ${z}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$ dependence for d>3d>3d>3 as well as for $d\ensuremath{\ge}3$.
We consider a semi-infinite two-dimensional Ising model with nearest-neighbor coupling constants that deviate from the bulk coupling by $A{m}^{\ensuremath{-}y}$ for large mmm, mmm being the distance from the edge. The case A<0A<0A<0 of couplings which are weaker near the surface has been discussed by Hilhorst and van Leeuwen. We report exact results for the boundary magnetization and boundary pair-correlation function when A>0A>0A>0. At the bulk critical temperature there is a rich variety of critical behavior in the $A \ensuremath{-}y$ plane with both paramagnetic and ferromagnetic surface phases. Some of our results can be derived and generalized with simple scaling arguments.
The effects of irrelevant surface perturbations on the local critical behavior of ($4\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\epsilon}$)-dimensional nnn-vector models with a free surface or an internal defect plane are investigated with particular attention paid to the corrections to scaling induced by the surface term $\frac{1}{2}c\ensuremath{\int}{\mathrm{surface}}^{}{\ensuremath{\varphi}}^{2}$ near the ordinary transition. A systematic expansion in ${c}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ is developed. In the case of a semi-infinite system, ${c}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ couples to the square of the normal derivative of $\ensuremath{\varphi}$. The associated crossover exponent is ${\ensuremath{\Phi}}^{o}=\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\nu}$ to all orders in $\ensuremath{\epsilon}$. In the case of an infinite-space model with a defect plane, ${c}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ couples to the squares of the normal derivatives on either side of the plane and to the product of the normal derivative on one side with the normal derivative on the other side. The latter operator represents perpendicular interactions across the defect plane, while the other two describe parallel interactions between spins on the same side of the plane. The associated crossover exponents are ${\ensuremath{\Phi}}_{\ensuremath{\parallel}}^{o}=\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\nu}$ and ${\ensuremath{\Phi}}_{\ensuremath{\perp}}^{o}={\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{11}^{o}$. A reanalysis of Bray and Moore's derivation of the (incorrect) relation ${\ensuremath{\Phi}}^{o}={\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{11}^{o}=\ensuremath{\nu}\ensuremath{-}1$ is presented which reveals where their arguments go wrong.
We consider the contact process near an extended surface defect, where the local control parameter deviates from the bulk one by an amount of λ(l)-λ(∞)=Al^{-s}, with l being the distance from the surface. We concentrate on the marginal situation s=1/ν_{⊥}, where ν_{⊥} is the critical exponent of the spatial correlation length, and study the local critical properties of the one-dimensional model by Monte Carlo simulations. The system exhibits a rich surface critical behavior. For weaker local activation rates A<A_{c}, the phase transition is continuous, having an order-parameter critical exponent, which varies continuously with A. For stronger local activation rates A>A_{c}, the phase transition is of mixed order: the surface order parameter is discontinuous; at the same time the temporal correlation length diverges algebraically as the critical point is approached, but with different exponents on the two sides of the transition. The mixed-order transition regime is analogous to that observed recently at a multiple junction and can be explained by the same type of scaling theory.
The effects of weak symmetry-breaking surface fields on the surface critical behavior of semi-infinite systems with a scalar order parameter are investigated near a bulk critical point. Previous field-theoretic analyses in 4-\ensuremath{\epsilon} dimensions are generalized by incorporating an additional surface term w0{\mathit{w}}_{0}w0​${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\varphi}}}_{\mathit{s}}^{3}$ in the Hamiltonian. The mapping of microscopic models of the lattice-gas type on a continuum field theory is reconsidered, and we conclude that the cubic surface field w0{\mathit{w}}_{0}w0​ generically does not vanish both in the case of an Ising ferromagnet in an applied magnetic field H (where w0{\mathit{w}}_{0}w0​\ensuremath{\sim}H as H\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0) as well as in the case of critical adsorption of fluids onto a wall or an interface. Explicit results of a perturbative renormalization-group analysis are given, which show that a fixed point with nonvanishing cubic surface field w∗{\mathit{w}}^{\mathrm{*}}w∗=O(\ensuremath{\surd}\ensuremath{\epsilon} ) exists but that at order \ensuremath{\epsilon} the usual w∗{\mathit{w}}^{\mathrm{*}}w∗=0 fixed point is stable in the w direction. The associated correction-to-scaling exponent is ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\omega}}}_{\mathit{w}}$=\ensuremath{\epsilon}+O(${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\epsilon}}}^{2}$). It is shown that the ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\varphi}}}_{\mathit{s}}^{3}$ term leads to a mixing of surface enhancement and surface field in the leading odd relevant surface scaling field. Furthermore, it is proven beyond perturbation theory that a (redundant) surface operator exists, that corresponds to a similar mixing in the leading even surface scaling field.The implications of this mixing for the critical behavior near the special surface transition are discussed both for the case of Ising ferromagnets as well as that of fluids. In the case of fluids, the mixing entails that quenched surface disorder of the random bond type is sufficient to prevent the occurrence of a (multicritical) special transition for bulk dimensions d\ensuremath{\le}3 A number of other redundant surface operators are identified, and a general redundancy criterion for surface operators (analogous to Wegner's for bulk operators) is given. Finally, a fixed point with w∗{\mathit{w}}^{\mathrm{*}}w∗=iO(\ensuremath{\surd}\ensuremath{\epsilon} ) is obtained, which describes the Yang-Lee edge singularities of an equivalent (d-1)-dimensional bulk system with long-range interactions. The associated critical exponents can be determined to all orders in \ensuremath{\epsilon}.