arXiv subjects

Andrea Pelissetto

Publications and source records attributed to Andrea Pelissetto.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

arXiv2019

Three-dimensional ferromagnetic CP(N-1) models

We investigate the critical behavior of three-dimensional ferromagnetic CP(N-1) models, which are characterized by a global U(N) and a local U(1) symmetry. We perform numerical simulations of a lattice model for N=2, 3, and 4. For N=2 we find a critical transition in the Heisenberg O(3) universality class, while for N=3 and 4 the system undergoes a first-order transition. For N=3 the transition is very weak and a clear signature of its discontinuous nature is only observed for sizes L>50. We also determine the critical behavior for a large class of lattice Hamiltonians in the large-N limit. The results confirm the existence of a stable large-N CP(N-1) fixed point. However, this evidence contradicts the standard picture obtained in the Landau-Ginzburg-Wilson (LGW) framework using a gauge-invariant order parameter: the presence of a cubic term in the effective LGW field theory for any N>2 would usually be taken as an indication that these models generically undergo first-order transitions.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2019

Disordered Ising model with correlated frustration

We consider the $\pm J$ Ising model on a cubic lattice with a gauge-invariant disorder distribution. Disorder depends on a parameter $β_G$ that plays the role of a chemical potential for the amount of frustration. We study the model at a specific value of the disorder parameter $β_G$, where frustration shows long-range correlations. We characterize the universality class, obtaining accurate estimates of the critical exponents: $ν= 0.655(15)$ and $η_q = 1.05(5)$, where $η_q$ is the overlap susceptibility exponent.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗

arXiv2018

Finite-size scaling at first-order quantum transitions when boundary conditions favor one of the two phases

We investigate scaling phenomena at first-order quantum transitions, when the boundary conditions favor one of the two phases. We show that the corresponding finite-size scaling behavior, arising from the interplay between the driving parameter and the finite size of the system, is more complex than that emerging when boundary conditions do not favor any phase. We discuss this issue in the framework of the paradigmatic one-dimensional quantum Ising model, along its first-order quantum transition line driven by an external longitudinal field.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2018

Anomalous finite-size scaling at thermal first-order transitions in systems with disordered boundary conditions

We investigate the equilibrium and off-equilibrium behaviors of systems at thermal first-order transitions (FOTs) when the boundary conditions favor one of the two phases. As a theoretical laboratory we consider the two-dimensional Potts model. We show that an anomalous finite-size scaling emerges in systems with open boundary conditions favoring the disordered phase, associated with a mixed regime where the two phases are spatially separated. Correspondingly, if the system is slowly heated across the transition, the characteristic times of the off-equilibrium dynamics scale with a power of the size. We argue that these features generally apply to systems at FOTs, when boundary conditions favor one of the two phases. In particular, they should be relevant for the experimental search of FOTs of the quark-gluon plasma in heavy-ion collisions.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2018

Dynamic finite-size scaling after a quench at quantum transitions

We present a general dynamic finite-size scaling theory for the quantum dynamics after an abrupt quench, at both continuous and first-order quantum transitions. For continuous transitions, the scaling laws are naturally ruled by the critical exponents and the renormalization-group dimension of the perturbation at the transition. In the case of first-order transitions, it is possible to recover a universal scaling behavior, which is controlled by the size behavior of the energy gap between the lowest energy levels. We discuss these findings in the framework of the paradigmatic quantum Ising ring, and support the dynamic scaling laws by numerical evidence.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2018

Out-of-equilibrium dynamics driven by localized time-dependent perturbations at quantum phase transitions

We investigate the quantum dynamics of many-body systems subject to local, i.e. restricted to a limited space region, time-dependent perturbations. If the perturbation drives the system across a quantum transition, an off-equilibrium behavior is observed, even when the perturbation is very slow. We show that, close to the transition, time-dependent quantities obey scaling laws. In first-order quantum transitions, the scaling behavior is universal, and some scaling functions can be exactly computed. For continuous quantum transitions, the scaling laws are controlled by the standard critical exponents and by the renormalization-group dimension of the perturbation at the transition. Our scaling approach is applied to the quantum Ising ring which presents both first-order and continuous quantum transitions.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2017

Criticality of O(N) symmetric models in the presence of discrete gauge symmetries

We investigate the critical properties of the three-dimensional (3D) antiferromagnetic RP(N-1}) model, which is characterized by a global O(N) symmetry and a discrete Z_2 gauge symmetry. We perform a field-theoretical analysis using the Landau-Ginzburg-Wilson (LGW) approach and a numerical Monte Carlo study. The LGW field-theoretical results are obtained by high-order perturbative analyses of the renormalization-group (RG) flow of the most general Phi^4 theory with the same global symmetry as the model, assuming a gauge-invariant order-parameter field. For N=4 no stable fixed point is found, implying that any transition must necessarily be of first order. This is contradicted by the numerical results that provide strong evidence for a continuous transition. This suggests that gauge modes are not always irrelevant, as assumed by the LGW approach, but they may play an important role to determine the actual critical dynamics at the phase transition of O(N) symmetric models with a discrete Z_2 gauge symmetry.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2017

Landau-Ginzburg-Wilson approach to critical phenomena in the presence of gauge symmetries

We critically reconsider the Landau-Ginzburg-Wilson (LGW) approach to critical phenomena in the presence of gauge symmetries. In the LGW framework, to obtain the universal features of a continuous transition, one identifies the order parameter Phi and considers the corresponding most general Phi4 field theory that has the same symmetries as the original model. In the presence of gauge symmetries, one usually considers a gauge-invariant order parameter and a LGW field theory that is invariant under the global symmetries of the original model. We show that this approach, in which the gauge dynamics is effectively integrated out, may sometimes lead to erroneous conclusions on the nature of the critical behavior. As an explicit example, we show that the above-described LGW approach generally fails for the three-dimensional ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic CP(N-1) models, which are invariant under global U(N) and local U(1) transformations. We point out possible implications for the finite-temperature chiral transition of nuclear matter.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2017

Polymer models with optimal good-solvent behavior

We consider three different continuum polymer models, that all depend on a tunable parameter r that determines the strength of the excluded-volume interactions. In the first model chains are obtained by concatenating hard spherocylinders of height b and diameter rb (we call them thick self- avoiding chains). The other two models are generalizations of the tangent hard-sphere and of the Kremer-Grest models. We show that, for a specific value r*, all models show an optimal behavior: asymptotic long-chain behavior is observed for relatively short chains. For r < r*, instead, the behavior can be parametrized by using the two-parameter model that also describes the thermal crossover close to the θ point. The bonds of thick self-avoiding chains cannot cross each other and, therefore, the model is suited for the investigation of topological properties and for dynamical studies. Such a model also provides a coarse-grained description of double-stranded DNA, so that we can use our results to discuss under which conditions DNA can be considered as a model good-solvent polymer.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2017

Dynamic finite-size scaling at first-order transitions

We investigate the dynamic behavior of finite-size systems close to a first-order transition (FOT). We develop a dynamic finite-size scaling (DFSS) theory for the dynamic behavior in the coexistence region where different phases coexist. It is characterized by an exponentially large time scale related to the tunneling between the two phases. We show that, when considering time scales of the order of the tunneling time, the dynamic behavior can be described by a two-state coarse-grained dynamics. This allows us to obtain exact predictions for the dynamical scaling functions. To test the general DFSS theory at FOTs, we consider the two-dimensional Ising model in the low-temperature phase, where the external magnetic field drives a FOT, and the 20-state Potts model, which undergoes a thermal FOT. Numerical results for a purely relaxational dynamics fully confirm the general theory.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2017

Thermodynamics of star polymer solutions: a coarse-grained study

We consider a coarse-grained (CG) model with pairwise interactions, suitable to describe low-density solutions of star-branched polymers of functionality $f$. Each macromolecule is represented by a CG molecule with $(f+1)$ interaction sites, which captures the star topology. Potentials are obtained by requiring the CG model to reproduce a set of distribution functions computed in the microscopic model in the zero-density limit. Explicit results are given for $f=6,12$ and $40$. We use the CG model to compute the osmotic equation of state of the solution for concentrations $c$ such that $Φ_p = c/c^* \lesssim 1$, where $c^*$ is the overlap concentration. We also investigate in detail the phase diagram for f=40, identifying the boundaries of the solid intermediate phase. Finally, we investigate how the polymer size changes with $c$. For $Φ_p\lesssim 0.3$ polymers become harder as $f$ increases at fixed reduced concentration $c/c^*$. On the other hand, for $Φ_p\gtrsim 0.3$, polymers show the opposite behavior: At fixed $Φ_p$, the larger the value of $f$, the larger their size reduction is.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2017

Dynamic off-equilibrium transition in systems slowly driven across thermal first-order phase transitions

We study the off-equilibrium behavior of systems with short-range interactions driven across a thermal first-order transition, where the dynamics is exponentially slow. We consider a dynamics that starts in the high-T phase at time t = t_i<0 and ends in in the low-T phase at t=t_f>0, with a time-dependent temperature T(t)/T_c \approx 1 - t/t_s, where t_s is the protocol time scale. A general off-equilibrium scaling (OS) behavior emerges in the limit of large t_s. We check it at the first-order transition of the two-dimensional q-state Potts model with q=10 and 20. The numerical results show evidence of a dynamic transition, where the OS functions show a spinodal-like singularity. Therefore, the general mean-field picture valid for systems with long-range interactions is qualitatively recovered, provided the time dependence is appropriately (logarithmically) rescaled.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2016

Off-equilibrium scaling behaviors driven by time-dependent external fields in three-dimensional O(N) vector models

We consider the dynamical off-equilibrium behavior of the three-dimensional O$(N)$ vector model in the presence of a slowly-varying time-dependent spatially-uniform magnetic field ${\bm H}(t) = h(t)\,{\bm e}$, where ${\bm e}$ is a $N$-dimensional constant unit vector, $h(t)=t/t_s$, and $t_s$ is a time scale, at fixed temperature $T\le T_c$, where $T_c$ corresponds to the continuous order-disorder transition. The dynamic evolutions start from equilibrium configurations at $h_i < 0$, correspondingly $t_i < 0$, and end at time $t_f > 0$ with $h(t_f) > 0$, or vice versa. We show that the magnetization displays an off-equilibrium scaling behavior close to the transition line ${\bm H}(t)=0$. It arises from the interplay among the time $t$, the time scale $t_s$, and the finite size $L$. The scaling behavior can be parametrized in terms of the scaling variables $t_s^κ/L$ and $t/t_s^{κ_t}$, where $κ>0$ and $κ_t > 0$ are appropriate universal exponents, which differ at the critical point and for $T < T_c$. In the latter case, $κ$ and $κ_t$ also depend on the shape of the lattice and on the boundary conditions. We present numerical results for the Heisenberg ($N=3$) model under a purely relaxational dynamics. They confirm the predicted off-equilibrium scaling behaviors at and below $T_c$. We also discuss hysteresis phenomena in round-trip protocols for the time dependence of the external field. We define a scaling function for the hysteresis loop area of the magnetization that can be used to quantify how far the system is from equilibrium.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2016

Phase diagram and multicritical behaviors of mixtures of 3D bosonic gases

We investigate the Bose-Einstein condensation patterns, the critical and multicritical behaviors of three-dimensional mixtures of bosonic gases with short-range density-density interactions. These systems have a global U(1)+U(1) symmetry, as the system Hamiltonian is invariant under independent U(1) transformations acting on each species. In particular, we consider the three-dimensional Bose-Hubbard model for two lattice bosonic gases coupled by an on-site inter-species density-density interaction. We study the phase diagram and the critical behaviors along the transition lines characterized by the Bose-Einstein condensation of one or both species. We present mean-field calculations and numerical finite-size scaling analyses of quantum Monte Carlo data. We also consider multicritical points, close to which it is possible to observe the condensation of both gas components. We determine the possible multicritical behaviors by using field-theoretical perturbative methods. We consider the U(1)+U(1)-symmetric Landau-Ginzburg-Wilson Phi4 theory and determine the corresponding stable fixed points of the renormalization-group flow. The analysis predicts that, in all cases, the multicritical behavior is analogous to the one that would be observed in systems of two identical gases, with an additional Z_2 exchange symmetry.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2015

Phase diagram of mixtures of colloids and polymers in the thermal crossover from good to $θ$ solvent

We determine the phase diagram of mixtures of spherical colloids and neutral nonadsorbing polymers in the thermal crossover region between the $θ$ point and the good-solvent regime. We use the generalized free-volume theory (GFVT), which turns out to be quite accurate as long as $q = R_g/R_c\lesssim 1$ ($R_g$ is the radius of gyration of the polymer and $R_c$ is the colloid radius). Close to the $θ$ point the phase diagram is not very sensitive to solvent quality, while, close to the good-solvent region, changes of the solvent quality modify significantly the position of the critical point and of the binodals. We also analyze the phase behavior of aqueous solutions of charged colloids and polymers, using the extension of GFVT proposed by Fortini et al., J. Chem. Phys. 128, 024904 (2008).

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2015

Off-equilibrium finite-size method for critical behavior analyses

We present a new dynamic off-equilibrium method for the study of continuous transitions, which represents a dynamic generalization of the usual equilibrium cumulant method. Its main advantage is that critical parameters are derived from numerical data obtained much before equilibrium has been attained. Therefore, the method is particularly useful for systems with long equilibration times, like spin glasses. We apply it to the three-dimensional Ising spin-glass model, obtaining accurate estimates of the critical exponents and of the critical temperature with a limited computational effort.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗

arXiv2015

Critical mass renormalization in renormalized phi4 theories in two and three dimensions

We consider the O(N)-symmetric phi4 theory in two and three dimensions and determine the nonperturbative mass renormalization needed to obtain the phi4 continuum theory. The required nonperturbative information is obtained by resumming high-order perturbative series in the massive renormalization scheme, taking into account their Borel summability and the known large-order behavior of the coefficients. The results are in good agreement with those obtained in lattice calculations.

hep-th↗

arXiv2015

Quantum Ising chains with boundary fields

We present a detailed study of the finite one-dimensional quantum Ising chain in a transverse field in the presence of boundary magnetic fields coupled with the order-parameter spin operator. We consider two magnetic fields located at the boundaries of the chain that have the same strength and that are aligned in the same or in the opposite direction. We derive analytic expressions for the gap in all phases for large values of the chain length L, as a function of the boundary field strength. We also investigate the behavior of the chain in the quantum ferromagnetic phase for oppositely aligned fields, focusing on the magnet-to-kink transition that occurs at a finite value of the magnetic field strength. At this transition we compute analytically the finite-size crossover functions for the gap, the magnetization profile, the two-point correlation function, and the density of fermionic modes. As the magnet-to-kink transition is equivalent to the wetting transition in two-dimensional classical Ising models, our results provide new analytic predictions for the finite-size behavior of Ising systems in a strip geometry at this transition.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗