Anisotropic universality

V. Dohm

Recently a unified hypothesis of multiparameter universality for the critical behavior of bulk and confined anisotropic systems has been formulated [V. Dohm, Phys. Rev. E 97, 062128 (2018)2470-004510.1103/PhysRevE.97.062128]. We prove the validity of this hypothesis in d≥2 dimensions on the basis of the principle of two-scale-factor universality for isotropic systems at vanishing external field. We introduce an angular-dependent correlation vector and a generalized shear transformation that transforms weakly anisotropic systems to isotropic systems. As examples we consider the O(n)-symmetric φ^{4} model, Gaussian model, and n-vector model. By means of the inverse of the shear transformation we determine the general structure of the bulk order-parameter correlation function, of the singular bulk part of the critical free energy, and of critical bulk amplitude relations of anisotropic systems at and away from T_{c}. It is shown that weakly anisotropic systems exhibit a high degree of intrinsic diversity due to d(d+1)/2-1 independent parameters that cannot be determined by thermodynamic measurements. Exact results are derived for the d=2 Ising universality class and for the spherical and Gaussian universality classes in d≥2 dimensions. For the d=3 Ising universality class we identify the universal scaling function of the isotropic bulk correlation function from the nonuniversal result of the functional renormalization group. A proof is presented for the validity of multiparameter universality of the exact critical free energy and critical Casimir amplitude in a finite rectangular geometry of weakly anisotropic systems with periodic boundary conditions in the Ising universality class. This confirms the validity of recent predictions of self-similar structures of finite-size effects in the (d=2,n=1) universality class at T=T_{c} derived from conformal field theory [V. Dohm and S. Wessel, Phys. Rev. Lett. 126, 060601 (2021)PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.126.060601]. This also substantiates the previous notion of an effective shear transformation for anisotropic two-dimensional Ising models. Our theory paves the way for a quantitative theory of nonuniversal critical Casimir forces in anisotropic superconductors for which experiments have been proposed by G. A. Williams [Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 197003 (2004)PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.92.197003].

Malte Henkel

Xunda Jiang, Bo Lü, Chengyin Han +5 more

We investigate the universal nonequilibrium dynamics of the superradiant phase transition in the anisotropic quantum Rabi model. By introducing position and momentum operators, we find the generators and the displaced operators to diagonalize the anisotropic Hamiltonian, and then obtain the ground states and their excitation gaps. According to the Kibble-Zurek mechanism, we find that the excitation gap near the critical point vanishes as $\ensuremath{\omega}\ensuremath{\sim}{|\ensuremath{\epsilon}|}^{\ensuremath{\nu}z}$ with $\ensuremath{\nu}z=1/2$, and the length scale diverges according to $\ensuremath{\zeta}\ensuremath{\sim}{\ensuremath{\epsilon}}^{\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\nu}}$, which determines the universality class $(z=2,\ensuremath{\nu}=1/4)$ of the anisotropic quantum Rabi model. Moreover, by simulating the real-time dynamics across the critical point, we numerically extract the critical exponents from the phase transition delay ${\stackrel{\ifmmode \hat{}\else \^{}\fi{}}{b}}_{d}\ensuremath{\sim}{\ensuremath{\tau}}_{Q}^{\ensuremath{-}1/(1+\ensuremath{\nu}z)}$ and the diverging length scale $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}x$, $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}p\ensuremath{\sim}{\ensuremath{\tau}}_{Q}^{\ensuremath{\nu}/(1+\ensuremath{\nu}z)}$ (where ${\ensuremath{\tau}}_{Q}$ is the quench time). The numerical critical exponents are well consistent with the analytical ones. Our study provides a dynamic way to explore universal critical behaviors in the anisotropic quantum Rabi model.

Thomas Spencer

Alfred Hucht

We postulate a symmetry of universal finite-size scaling functions under a certain anisotropic scale transformation, which connects the properties of a finite two-dimensional (2D) system at criticality with generalized aspect ratio ρ > 1 to a system with ρ < 1. The symmetry is formulated within a finite-size scaling theory and expressions for several universal amplitude ratios are derived. The predictions are confirmed within the exactly solvable weakly anisotropic 2D Ising model and are checked within the strongly anisotropic 2D dipolar in-plane Ising model using Monte Carlo simulations.

Antonio Coniglio A