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arXiv:cond-mat/0402036 · Physical Review B

Low-temperature behavior of two-dimensional Gaussian Ising spin glasses

J. Houdayer, Alexander K. Hartmann

Published Jul 1, 2004• 133 citations
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Abstract

We perform Monte Carlo simulations of large two-dimensional Gaussian Ising spin glasses down to very low temperatures $\ensuremath{\beta}=1∕T=50$. Equilibration is ensured by using a cluster algorithm including Monte Carlo moves consisting of flipping fundamental excitations. We study the thermodynamic behavior using the Binder cumulant, the spin-glass susceptibility, the distribution of overlaps, the overlap with the ground state, and the specific heat. We confirm that ${T}_{c}=0$. All results are compatible with an algebraic divergence of the correlation length with an exponent $\ensuremath{\nu}$. We find $\ensuremath{-}1∕\ensuremath{\nu}=\ensuremath{-}0.295(40)$, which is compatible with the value for the domain-wall and droplet exponent $\ensuremath{\theta}\ensuremath{\approx}\ensuremath{-}0.29$ found previously in ground-state studies. Hence the thermodynamic behavior of this model seems to be governed by one single exponent.

DOI
10.1103/physrevb.70.014418

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Statistics of lowest droplets in two-dimensional Gaussian Ising spin glasses

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An approach to determine the value of the zero-temperature thermal exponent $\ensuremath{\theta}$ in spin glasses is presented. It consists in describing the energy level spectrum in spin glasses only in terms of the properties of the lowest energy droplets and the lowest droplet exponents (LDE's) ${\ensuremath{\lambda}}_{l},{\ensuremath{\theta}}_{l}$ that describe the statistics of their sizes and gaps. We show how these LDE's yield the standard thermal exponent of droplet theory $\ensuremath{\theta}$ through the relation $\ensuremath{\theta}={\ensuremath{\theta}}_{l}+d{\ensuremath{\lambda}}_{l}.$ The present approach provides a new way to measure the thermal exponent $\ensuremath{\theta}$ without any assumption about the correct procedure to generate typical low-lying excitations as is commonly done in many perturbation methods including domain wall calculations. To illustrate the usefulness of the method we present a detailed investigation of the properties of the lowest energy droplets in two-dimensional Gaussian Ising spin glasses. By independent measurements of both LDE's and an aspect-ratio analysis, we find $\ensuremath{\theta}(2d)\ensuremath{\simeq}\ensuremath{-}0.46(1)<{\ensuremath{\theta}}_{\mathrm{DW}}(2d)\ensuremath{\simeq}\ensuremath{-}0.287$ where ${\ensuremath{\theta}}_{\mathrm{DW}}$ is the thermal exponent obtained in domain-wall theory. We also discuss the origin of finite-volume corrections in the behavior of the LDE ${\ensuremath{\theta}}_{l}$ and relate them to the finite-volume corrections in the statistics of extreme values. Finally, we analyze some geometrical properties of the lowest energy droplets, finding results in agreement with those recently reported by Kawashima and Aoki [J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. $69,$ 169 (2000)]. All in all, we show that typical large-scale droplets are not probed by most of the present perturbation methods, since they probably do not have a compact structure as has been recently suggested. We speculate that a multifractal scenario could be at the roots of the reported discrepancies on the value of the thermal exponent $\ensuremath{\theta}$ in the two-dimensional Gaussian Ising spin glass.

arXiv:cond-mat/0106554•Physical review. B, Condensed matter•May 30, 2003•11 citations
We perform Monte Carlo simulations of large two-dimensional Gaussian Ising spin glasses down to very low temperatures \ensuremathβ=1∕T=50\ensuremath{\beta}=1∕T=50\ensuremathβ=1∕T=50. Equilibration is ensured by using a cluster algorithm including Monte Carlo moves consisting of flipping fundamental excitations. We study the thermodynamic behavior using the Binder cumulant, the spin-glass susceptibility, the distribution of overlaps, the overlap with the ground state, and the specific heat. We confirm that Tc=0{T}_{c}=0Tc​=0. All results are compatible with an algebraic divergence of the correlation length with an exponent \ensuremathν\ensuremath{\nu}\ensuremathν. We find \ensuremath−1∕\ensuremathν=\ensuremath−0.295(40)\ensuremath{-}1∕\ensuremath{\nu}=\ensuremath{-}0.295(40)\ensuremath−1∕\ensuremathν=\ensuremath−0.295(40), which is compatible with the value for the domain-wall and droplet exponent \ensuremathθ\ensuremath≈\ensuremath−0.29\ensuremath{\theta}\ensuremath{\approx}\ensuremath{-}0.29\ensuremathθ\ensuremath≈\ensuremath−0.29 found previously in ground-state studies. Hence the thermodynamic behavior of this model seems to be governed by one single exponent.
Monte Carlo data of the two-dimensional Ising spin glass with bimodal interactions are presented with the aim of understanding the low-temperature physics of the model. An analysis of the specific heat, spin-glass susceptibility, finite-size correlation length, and the Binder ratio is performed to try to verify a recent proposal in which for large system sizes and finite but low temperatures the effective critical exponents are identical to the critical exponents of the two-dimensional Ising spin glass with Gaussian interactions. Our results show that with present system sizes the recently proposed scenario, in which the two-dimensional Ising spin glass with bimodally distributed interactions is in the same universality class as the model with Gaussian-distributed disorder at low but finite temperatures, cannot be reliably proven.
We study large-scale, low-energy excitations in the Ising spin glass with Gaussian interactions in two dimensions at zero temperature, using an optimization algorithm to determine exact ground states. Periodic boundary conditions are applied. Our results for the fractal dimension of the surface, ds,{d}_{s},ds​, and stiffness exponent, ${\ensuremath{\theta}}^{\ensuremath{'}},$ for ``droplet'' excitations, are in reasonable agreement with estimates from ``domain wall'' calculations, and so support the predictions of the ``droplet theory.'' Restricting our analysis to small lattices, we do not find an effective value of ${\ensuremath{\theta}}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ close to $\ensuremath{-}0.47$ as has been recently proposed. The effects of averaging over droplets of different sizes are studied and are also found to be too small to give ${\ensuremath{\theta}}^{\ensuremath{'}}\ensuremath{\approx}\ensuremath{-}0.47$ for smaller sizes. Larger corrections to finite-size scaling would be needed in three and four dimensions in order for the numerical data used to support the ``TNT'' scenario to be compatible with the droplet theory prediction that the stiffness exponent is the same for droplets and domain walls.
Direct measurements of the spin glass correlation function G(R)G(R)G(R) for Gaussian and bimodal Ising spin glasses in dimension two have been carried out in the temperature region $T\ensuremath{\sim}1$. In the Gaussian case the data are consistent with the known anomalous dimension value $\ensuremath{\eta}\ensuremath{\equiv}0$. For the bimodal spin glass in this temperature region T>T∗(L)T>{T}^{*}(L)T>T∗(L), well above the crossover T∗(L){T}^{*}(L)T∗(L) to the ground-state-dominated regime, the effective exponent $\ensuremath{\eta}$ is clearly nonzero and the data are consistent with the estimate $\ensuremath{\eta}\ensuremath{\sim}0.28(4)$ given by McMillan in 1983 from similar measurements. Measurements of the temperature dependence of the Binder cumulant U4(T,L){U}_{4}(T,L)U4​(T,L) and the normalized correlation length $\ensuremath{\xi}(T,L)/L$ for the two models confirms the conclusion that the two-dimensional (2D) bimodal model has a nonzero effective $\ensuremath{\eta}$ both below and above T∗(L){T}^{*}(L)T∗(L). The 2D bimodal and Gaussian interaction distribution Ising spin glasses are not in the same universality class.
We study the correlation length of the two-dimensional Ising spin glass with a Gaussian distribution of interactions, using an efficient Monte Carlo algorithm, proposed by Houdayer, that allows larger sizes and lower temperatures to be studied than was possible before. We find that the ``effective'' value of the bulk correlation length exponent $\ensuremath{\nu}$ increases as the temperature is lowered, and, at low temperatures, apparently approaches $\ensuremath{-}1∕\ensuremath{\theta}$, where $\ensuremath{\theta}\ensuremath{\simeq}\ensuremath{-}0.29$ is the stiffness exponent obtained at zero temperature. This means scaling is satisfied and earlier results at higher temperatures that find a smaller value for $\ensuremath{\nu}$ are affected by corrections to scaling.
By using problem-dependent mappings to computer-science problems and by applying sophisticated algorithms, one can numerically study some important problems much better compared to applying standard approaches, such as Monte Carlo simulations. Here, by using calculations of ground states of suitable perturbed systems, droplets are obtained in two-dimensional $\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}J$ spin glasses, which are in the focus of a currently very lively debate. By using a sophisticated matching algorithm, exact ground states of large systems up to L2=2562{L}^{2}={256}^{2}L2=2562 spins can be generated. Furthermore, no equilibration or extrapolation to T=0T=0T=0 is necessary. Three different $\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}J$ models are studied here: (a) with free boundary conditions, (b) with fixed boundary conditions, and (c) a diluted system wherein a fraction p=0.125p=0.125p=0.125 of all bonds is zero. For large systems, the droplet energy shows for all three models a power-law behavior ${E}_{\text{dp}}\ensuremath{\sim}{L}^{{\ensuremath{\theta}}_{\text{dp}}^{\ensuremath{'}}}$ with ${\ensuremath{\theta}}_{\text{dp}}^{\ensuremath{'}}<0$. This is different from the previous studies of domain walls, wherein a convergence to a constant nonzero value $({\ensuremath{\theta}}_{\text{DW}}=0)$ was found. After correcting for the noncompactness of the droplets, the results are likely to be compatible with ${\ensuremath{\theta}}_{\text{dp}}\ensuremath{\approx}\ensuremath{-}0.29$ for all three models. This is in accordance with the Gaussian system wherein ${\ensuremath{\theta}}_{\text{dp}}=\ensuremath{-}0.287(4)$ ($\ensuremath{\nu}\ensuremath{\approx}3.5$ via $\ensuremath{\nu}=\ensuremath{-}1/{\ensuremath{\theta}}_{\text{dp}}$). Nevertheless, the disorder-averaged spin-spin correlation exponent $\ensuremath{\eta}$ is determined here via the probability to have a nonzero-energy droplet, and $\ensuremath{\eta}\ensuremath{\approx}0.22$ is found for all three models, in contrast to the model with the Gaussian interactions, where $\ensuremath{\eta}=0$ is exact.
An approach to determine the value of the zero-temperature thermal exponent $\ensuremath{\theta}$ in spin glasses is presented. It consists in describing the energy level spectrum in spin glasses only in terms of the properties of the lowest energy droplets and the lowest droplet exponents (LDE's) ${\ensuremath{\lambda}}_{l},{\ensuremath{\theta}}_{l}$ that describe the statistics of their sizes and gaps. We show how these LDE's yield the standard thermal exponent of droplet theory $\ensuremath{\theta}$ through the relation $\ensuremath{\theta}={\ensuremath{\theta}}_{l}+d{\ensuremath{\lambda}}_{l}.$ The present approach provides a new way to measure the thermal exponent $\ensuremath{\theta}$ without any assumption about the correct procedure to generate typical low-lying excitations as is commonly done in many perturbation methods including domain wall calculations. To illustrate the usefulness of the method we present a detailed investigation of the properties of the lowest energy droplets in two-dimensional Gaussian Ising spin glasses. By independent measurements of both LDE's and an aspect-ratio analysis, we find $\ensuremath{\theta}(2d)\ensuremath{\simeq}\ensuremath{-}0.46(1)<{\ensuremath{\theta}}_{\mathrm{DW}}(2d)\ensuremath{\simeq}\ensuremath{-}0.287$ where ${\ensuremath{\theta}}_{\mathrm{DW}}$ is the thermal exponent obtained in domain-wall theory. We also discuss the origin of finite-volume corrections in the behavior of the LDE ${\ensuremath{\theta}}_{l}$ and relate them to the finite-volume corrections in the statistics of extreme values. Finally, we analyze some geometrical properties of the lowest energy droplets, finding results in agreement with those recently reported by Kawashima and Aoki [J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. 69,69,69, 169 (2000)]. All in all, we show that typical large-scale droplets are not probed by most of the present perturbation methods, since they probably do not have a compact structure as has been recently suggested. We speculate that a multifractal scenario could be at the roots of the reported discrepancies on the value of the thermal exponent $\ensuremath{\theta}$ in the two-dimensional Gaussian Ising spin glass.