Large-deviation tails of critical order-parameter distributions

Abstract

Large-deviation tails of critical probability distributions provide a sensitive probe of universality beyond standard finite-size scaling. We study these tails for critical percolation and Fortuin--Kasteleyn Ising models on two-dimensional lattices, three-dimensional lattices, and complete graphs. We consider two rescaled order parameters: the magnetization-like variable $x_m=|M|/\langle |M|\rangle$, including a signed cluster-mass analogue for percolation, and the largest-cluster variable $x_C=C_1/\langle C_1\rangle$. For $x_m$, we test the expected stretched-exponential large-deviation tail and show that the same form applies to the percolation analogue. For $x_C$, guided by the exact complete-graph result and scaling arguments, we propose universal scaling forms for both tails of the cumulative distribution and test them by extensive Monte Carlo simulations. In the complete-graph FK-Ising model, the left tail is governed by rare configurations with percolation-like scaling rather than by the typical Ising scaling. Our results show that the tails of order-parameter distributions reveal universal features of critical fluctuations that are not captured by averaged observables alone.