Critical relaxational dynamics at the continuous transitions of three-dimensional spin models with ${\mathbb Z}_2$ gauge symmetry

Abstract

We characterize the dynamic universality classes of a relaxational dynamics under equilibrium conditions at the continuous transitions of three-dimensional (3D) spin systems with a ${\mathbb Z}_2$-gauge symmetry. In particular, we consider the pure lattice ${\mathbb Z}_2$-gauge model and the lattice ${\mathbb Z}_2$-gauge XY model, which present various types of transitions: topological transitions without a local order parameter and transitions characterized by both gauge-invariant and non-gauge-invariant XY order parameters. We consider a standard relaxational (locally reversible) Metropolis dynamics and determine the dynamic critical exponent $z$ that characterizes the critical slowing down of the dynamics as the continuous transition is approached. At the topological ${\mathbb Z}_2$-gauge transitions we find $z=2.55(6)$. Therefore, the dynamics is significantly slower than in Ising systems -- $z\approx 2.02$ for the 3D Ising universality class -- although 3D ${\mathbb Z}_2$-gauge systems and Ising systems have the same static critical behavior because of duality. As for the nontopological transitions in the 3D ${\mathbb Z}_2$-gauge XY model, we find that their critical dynamics belong to the same dynamic universality class as the relaxational dynamics in ungauged XY systems, independently of the gauge-invariant or nongauge-invariant nature of the order parameter at the transition.