Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Physics

A Critical Test of Quantum Criticality

M. Klanjšek

Published Jul 14, 2014• 11 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The transverse field Ising chain model is ideally suited for testing the fundamental ideas of quantum phase transitions because its well-known T ¼ 0 ground state can be extrapolated to finite temperatures.Nonetheless, the lack of appropriate model materials hindered the past effort to test the theoretical predictions.Here, we map the evolution of quantum fluctuations in the transverse field Ising chain based on nuclear magnetic resonance measurements of CoNb 2 O 6 , and we demonstrate the finite-temperature effects on quantum criticality for the first time.From the temperature dependence of the 93 Nb longitudinal relaxation rate 1=T 1 , we identify the renormalized classical, quantum critical, and quantum disordered scaling regimes in the temperature (T) vs transverse magnetic field (h ⊥ ) phase diagram.Precisely at the critical field h c ⊥ ¼ 5.25 Æ 0.15 T, we observe a power-law behavior, 1=T 1 ∼ T -3=4 , as predicted by quantum critical scaling.Our parameter-free comparison between the data and theory reveals that quantum fluctuations persist up to as high as T ∼ 0.4J, where the intrachain exchange interaction J is the only energy scale of the problem.

DOI
10.1103/physics.7.74

Related papers

Quantum Fluctuations of the Transverse Field Ising Chain

A. W. Kinross, H. A. Dabkowska, G. M. Luke +2 more

The concept of T = 0 quantum phase transi-tions has emerged as an overarching theme in strongly correlated electron physics [1–9]. The nature of quantum fluctuations near the quantum critical point, however, remains enigmatic [10]. How well does the quantum criticality account for finite temperature properties? How high in tem-perature does the effect of the quantum critical point persist?[10, 11] The dearth of appropriate model materials has not permitted experimental-ists to address these fundamental questions even for the transverse field Ising chain (TFIC), a cel-ebrated textbook example of quantum criticality [6]. Here we use NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Res-onance) to map the evolution of quantum spin fluctuations in CoNb2O6 [12–14], which has re-cently been proposed as an ideal model material for the TFIC [15, 16]. We will demonstrate that the effect of the quantum critical point persists to a remarkably high temperature, T ∼ 0.4J, where the exchange coupling J is the only energy scale in the problem.

•Jan 27, 2014•0 citations

NMR relaxation in Ising spin chains

Julia Steinberg, N. P. Armitage, Fabian H. L. Eßler +1 more

The quantum Ising chain in a transverse magnetic field is $t\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}h\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}e$ paradigm of a quantum phase transition, displaying universal quantum criticality at low temperatures. Insights from this model have informed studies of quantum criticality in numerous modern correlated-electron materials. There have been a number of experimental studies of the quantum Ising chain, most notably in the material CoNb${}_{2}$O${}_{6}$. It has recently become clear that there was a surprising discrepancy between the observations: the energy gap in the quantum disordered regime as measured by nuclear magnetic resonance was approximately twice that measured by other methods. Here, the authors show via careful analysis of the low-temperature excitations that this is not a discrepancy, rather, it is in fact to be expected from the subtle interactions between the excitations. Although the underlying spin excitations are bosonic, their interactions transmute them into fermions, and this is a key ingredient in understanding the experiments.

arXiv:1810.11466•Physical review. B./Physical review. B•Jan 29, 2019•22 citations

Quantum and Thermal Fluctuations in the Ising Chains: A Case Study of Spin-Two System

S. Ehika, O. J. Ataman, SE Iyayi

For a system at absolute zero temperature, all thermal fluctuations are frozen out, while quantum fluctuations prevail.These microscopic quantum fluctuations can induce a quantum phase transition (QPT) in the ground state of a many-body system when the relative strength of two competing energy terms is varied across a critical value.This paper presents a detailed and quantitative study of the magnetic properties of Ising two-spin system at zero temperature in the presence of longitudinal, transverse and mixed fields, and also at finite temperatures.At the critical longitudinal magnetic field, the system is found to undergo a QPT to a ferromagnetic state.For this system, an infinitesimal departure from zero transverse field is found to trigger off QPT and also remove the degeneracies that persisted even in the presence of longitudinal field.These quantum fluctuations, leading to QPT are more evident in the mixed field than the separate effect of longitudinal and transverse fields.The observed quantum effects at zero temperature for this system are found to be completely wiped out at finite temperatures due to thermal fluctuations.A temperature increase favours antiferromagnetic alignment of spins, while a decrease in temperature favours ferromagnetic alignment.

IOSR Journal of Applied Physics•May 1, 2017•1 citation

Crossovers and critical scaling in the one-dimensional transverse-field Ising model

Jianda Wu, Lijun Zhu, Qimiao Si A

We consider the scaling behavior of thermodynamic quantities in the one-dimensional transverse field Ising model near its quantum critical point (QCP). Our study has been motivated by the question about the thermodynamical signatures of this paradigmatic quantum critical system and, more generally, by the issue of how quantum criticality accumulates entropy. We find that the crossovers in the phase diagram of temperature and (the nonthermal control parameter) transverse field obey a general scaling ansatz, and so does the critical scaling behavior of the specific heat and magnetic expansion coefficient. Furthermore, the Gr\"uneisen ratio diverges in a power-law way when the QCP is accessed as a function of the transverse field at zero temperature, which follows the prediction of quantum critical scaling. However, at the critical field, upon decreasing the temperature, the Gr\"uneisen ratio approaches a constant instead of showing the expected divergence. We are able to understand this unusual result in terms of a peculiar form of the quantum critical scaling function for the free energy; the contribution to the Gr\"uneisen ratio vanishes at the linear order in a suitable Taylor expansion of the scaling function. In spite of this special form of the scaling function, we show that the entropy is still maximized near the QCP, as expected from the general scaling argument. Our results establish the telltale thermodynamic signature of a transverse-field Ising chain, and will thus facilitate the experimental identification of this model quantum-critical system in real materials.

arXiv:1802.05627•Physical review. B./Physical review. B•Jun 18, 2018•32 citations

Extracting signatures of quantum criticality in the finite-temperature behavior of many-body systems

Alessandro Cuccoli, Alessio Taiti, Ruggero Vaia +1 more

We face the problem of detecting and featuring footprints of quantum criticality in the finite-temperature behavior of quantum many-body systems. Our strategy is that of comparing the phase diagram of a system displaying a $T=0$ quantum phase transition with that of its classical limit, in order to single out the genuinely quantum effects. To this aim, we consider the one-dimensional Ising model in a transverse field: while the quantum $S=1∕2$ Ising chain is exactly solvable and extensively studied, results for the classical limit $(S\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty})$ of such model are lacking, and we supply them here. They are obtained numerically, via the transfer-matrix method, and their asymptotic low-temperature behavior is also derived analytically by self-consistent spin-wave theory. We draw the classical phase diagram according to the same procedure followed in the quantum analysis, and the two phase diagrams are found unexpectedly similar: Three regimes are detected also in the classical case, each characterized by a functional dependence of the correlation length on temperature and field analogous to that of the quantum model. What discriminates the classical from the quantum case are the different values of the exponents entering such dependencies, a consequence of the different nature of zero-temperature quantum fluctuations with respect to the thermal ones.

arXiv:0708.1142•Physical Review B•Aug 3, 2007•14 citations

Evolution of Quantum Fluctuations Near the Quantum Critical Point of the Transverse Field Ising Chain System CoNb2O6

A. W. Kinross, M. Fu, T. J. Munsie +4 more

Quantum fluctuations near absolute zero may be responsible for the exotic superconductivity of cuprates and other materials. A new study finds that quantum fluctuations of Ising chains in CoNb${}_{2}$O${}_{6}$ in a transverse magnetic field survive at surprisingly high temperatures.

arXiv:1401.6917•Physical Review X•Jul 14, 2014•121 citations
The transverse field Ising chain model is ideally suited for testing the fundamental ideas of quantum phase transitions because its well-known T ¼ 0 ground state can be extrapolated to finite temperatures.Nonetheless, the lack of appropriate model materials hindered the past effort to test the theoretical predictions.Here, we map the evolution of quantum fluctuations in the transverse field Ising chain based on nuclear magnetic resonance measurements of CoNb 2 O 6 , and we demonstrate the finite-temperature effects on quantum criticality for the first time.From the temperature dependence of the 93 Nb longitudinal relaxation rate 1=T 1 , we identify the renormalized classical, quantum critical, and quantum disordered scaling regimes in the temperature (T) vs transverse magnetic field (h ⊥ ) phase diagram.Precisely at the critical field h c ⊥ ¼ 5.25 Æ 0.15 T, we observe a power-law behavior, 1=T 1 ∼ T -3=4 , as predicted by quantum critical scaling.Our parameter-free comparison between the data and theory reveals that quantum fluctuations persist up to as high as T ∼ 0.4J, where the intrachain exchange interaction J is the only energy scale of the problem.
The concept of T = 0 quantum phase transi-tions has emerged as an overarching theme in strongly correlated electron physics [1–9]. The nature of quantum fluctuations near the quantum critical point, however, remains enigmatic [10]. How well does the quantum criticality account for finite temperature properties? How high in tem-perature does the effect of the quantum critical point persist?[10, 11] The dearth of appropriate model materials has not permitted experimental-ists to address these fundamental questions even for the transverse field Ising chain (TFIC), a cel-ebrated textbook example of quantum criticality [6]. Here we use NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Res-onance) to map the evolution of quantum spin fluctuations in CoNb2O6 [12–14], which has re-cently been proposed as an ideal model material for the TFIC [15, 16]. We will demonstrate that the effect of the quantum critical point persists to a remarkably high temperature, T ∼ 0.4J, where the exchange coupling J is the only energy scale in the problem.
The quantum Ising chain in a transverse magnetic field is $t\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}h\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}e$ paradigm of a quantum phase transition, displaying universal quantum criticality at low temperatures. Insights from this model have informed studies of quantum criticality in numerous modern correlated-electron materials. There have been a number of experimental studies of the quantum Ising chain, most notably in the material CoNb2{}_{2}2​O6{}_{6}6​. It has recently become clear that there was a surprising discrepancy between the observations: the energy gap in the quantum disordered regime as measured by nuclear magnetic resonance was approximately twice that measured by other methods. Here, the authors show via careful analysis of the low-temperature excitations that this is not a discrepancy, rather, it is in fact to be expected from the subtle interactions between the excitations. Although the underlying spin excitations are bosonic, their interactions transmute them into fermions, and this is a key ingredient in understanding the experiments.
For a system at absolute zero temperature, all thermal fluctuations are frozen out, while quantum fluctuations prevail.These microscopic quantum fluctuations can induce a quantum phase transition (QPT) in the ground state of a many-body system when the relative strength of two competing energy terms is varied across a critical value.This paper presents a detailed and quantitative study of the magnetic properties of Ising two-spin system at zero temperature in the presence of longitudinal, transverse and mixed fields, and also at finite temperatures.At the critical longitudinal magnetic field, the system is found to undergo a QPT to a ferromagnetic state.For this system, an infinitesimal departure from zero transverse field is found to trigger off QPT and also remove the degeneracies that persisted even in the presence of longitudinal field.These quantum fluctuations, leading to QPT are more evident in the mixed field than the separate effect of longitudinal and transverse fields.The observed quantum effects at zero temperature for this system are found to be completely wiped out at finite temperatures due to thermal fluctuations.A temperature increase favours antiferromagnetic alignment of spins, while a decrease in temperature favours ferromagnetic alignment.
We consider the scaling behavior of thermodynamic quantities in the one-dimensional transverse field Ising model near its quantum critical point (QCP). Our study has been motivated by the question about the thermodynamical signatures of this paradigmatic quantum critical system and, more generally, by the issue of how quantum criticality accumulates entropy. We find that the crossovers in the phase diagram of temperature and (the nonthermal control parameter) transverse field obey a general scaling ansatz, and so does the critical scaling behavior of the specific heat and magnetic expansion coefficient. Furthermore, the Gr\"uneisen ratio diverges in a power-law way when the QCP is accessed as a function of the transverse field at zero temperature, which follows the prediction of quantum critical scaling. However, at the critical field, upon decreasing the temperature, the Gr\"uneisen ratio approaches a constant instead of showing the expected divergence. We are able to understand this unusual result in terms of a peculiar form of the quantum critical scaling function for the free energy; the contribution to the Gr\"uneisen ratio vanishes at the linear order in a suitable Taylor expansion of the scaling function. In spite of this special form of the scaling function, we show that the entropy is still maximized near the QCP, as expected from the general scaling argument. Our results establish the telltale thermodynamic signature of a transverse-field Ising chain, and will thus facilitate the experimental identification of this model quantum-critical system in real materials.
We face the problem of detecting and featuring footprints of quantum criticality in the finite-temperature behavior of quantum many-body systems. Our strategy is that of comparing the phase diagram of a system displaying a T=0T=0T=0 quantum phase transition with that of its classical limit, in order to single out the genuinely quantum effects. To this aim, we consider the one-dimensional Ising model in a transverse field: while the quantum S=1∕2S=1∕2S=1∕2 Ising chain is exactly solvable and extensively studied, results for the classical limit $(S\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty})$ of such model are lacking, and we supply them here. They are obtained numerically, via the transfer-matrix method, and their asymptotic low-temperature behavior is also derived analytically by self-consistent spin-wave theory. We draw the classical phase diagram according to the same procedure followed in the quantum analysis, and the two phase diagrams are found unexpectedly similar: Three regimes are detected also in the classical case, each characterized by a functional dependence of the correlation length on temperature and field analogous to that of the quantum model. What discriminates the classical from the quantum case are the different values of the exponents entering such dependencies, a consequence of the different nature of zero-temperature quantum fluctuations with respect to the thermal ones.
Quantum fluctuations near absolute zero may be responsible for the exotic superconductivity of cuprates and other materials. A new study finds that quantum fluctuations of Ising chains in CoNb2{}_{2}2​O6{}_{6}6​ in a transverse magnetic field survive at surprisingly high temperatures.