Why Quantum Phase Transitions Are Interesting

D. Belitz; T. R. Kirkpatrick

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arXiv · cond-mat/0106279

Why Quantum Phase Transitions Are Interesting

D. Belitz·T. R. Kirkpatrick

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Abstract

This paper discusses why the usual notion that quantum phase transitions can be mapped onto classical phase transitions in a higher dimension, and that this makes the former uninteresting from a fundamental theoretical point of view, is in general misleading. It is shown that quantum phase transitions are often qualitatively different from their classical counterparts due to (1) long-ranged effective interactions that are induced by soft modes, and (2) in the presence of quenched disorder, an extreme anisotropy of space-time. These points are illustrated using various magnetic phase transitions as examples.

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BibTeX RIS

D. Belitz, T. R. Kirkpatrick. 2001-06-14. Why Quantum Phase Transitions Are Interesting. https://arxiv.org/abs/cond-mat/0106279

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