arXiv subjects

Leïla Moueddene

Publications and source records attributed to Leïla Moueddene.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Mean-field theory for quantum spin chains

Mean-field theory is a widely used approximation for describing phase transitions, particularly effective above the upper critical dimension. Its origins can be traced back to the van der Waals theory of the liquid-gas transition and Weiss's molecular field theory of the paramagnetic-ferromagnetic transition. However, it was Lev D. Landau who provided a unifying and general framework applicable to a broad class of physical systems. The mean-field approach typically involves neglecting thermal fluctuations, which is a reasonable assumption in many classical contexts. However, its application to quantum phase transitions at zero temperature is less common. The aim of this short pedagogical paper is to explore and clarify the use of the mean-field approach in the less familiar domain of quantum phase transitions. We specifically consider the Ising model and the Blume-Capel model.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2025

Phase transition properties via partition function zeros: The Blume-Capel ferromagnet revisited

Since the landmark work of Lee and Yang, locating the zeros of the partition function in the complex magnetic-field plane has become a powerful method for studying phase transitions. Fisher later extended this approach to complex temperatures, and subsequent generalizations introduced other control parameters, such as the crystal field. In previous works [Moueddene et al, J. Stat. Mech. (2024) 023206; Phys. Rev. E 110, 064144 (2024)] we applied this framework to the two- and three-dimensional Blume-Capel model -- a system with a rich phase structure where a second-order critical line meets a first-order line at a tricritical point. We showed that the scaling of Lee-Yang, Fisher, and crystal-field zeros yields accurate critical exponents even for modest lattice sizes. In the present study, we extend this analysis and demonstrate that simulations need not be performed exactly at the nominal transition point to obtain reliable exponent estimates. Strikingly, small system sizes are sufficient, which not only improves methodological efficiency but also advances the broader goal of reducing the carbon footprint of large-scale computational studies.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2024

Critical and tricritical behavior of the $d=3$ Blume-Capel model: Results from small-scale Monte Carlo simulations

We investigate the location of the critical and tricritical points of the three-dimensional Blume-Capel model by analyzing the behavior of the first Lee-Yang zero, the density of partition function zeros, and higher-order cumulants of the magnetization. Our analysis is conducted through Monte Carlo simulations, intentionally using only small system sizes. We demonstrate that this approach yields excellent results for studying the critical behavior of the model. Our findings indicate that at the tricritical point, where logarithmic corrections are anticipated, the numerical results align closely with the theoretical exponents describing these corrections. These expected values are then employed to accurately determine the coordinates of the tricritical point. At the model's critical point, the corrections correspond to those of the three-dimensional Ising model criticality, which we also use to precisely ascertain the critical temperature at zero crystal field. Additionally, we utilize more traditional thermodynamic quantities to validate the self-consistency of our analysis.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2024

Differential geometry, a possible avenue for thermal ablation in oncology?

We report a model for hyperthermia therapies based on heat diffusion in a biological tissue containing a topological defect. Biological tissues behave like active liquid crystals with the presence of topological defects which are likely to anchor tumors during the metastatic phase of cancer evolution and the therapy challenge is to destroy the cancer cells without damaging surrounding healthy tissues. The defect creates an effective non-Euclidean geometry for low-energy excitations, modifying the bio-heat equation. Applications to protocols of thermal ablation for various biological tissues (liver, prostate, and skin) is analyzed and discussed.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2024

Ralph Kenna's scaling relations in critical phenomena

In this note, we revisit the scaling relations among ``hatted critical exponents'' which were first derived by Ralph Kenna, Des Johnston and Wolfhard Janke, and we propose an alternative derivation for some of them. For the scaling relation involving the behavior of the correlation function, we will propose an alternative form since we believe that the expression is erroneous in the work of Ralph and his collaborators.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2024

Critical and tricritical singularities from small-scale Monte Carlo simulations: The Blume-Capel model in two dimensions

We show that the study of critical properties of the Blume-Capel model at two dimensions can be deduced from Monte Carlo simulations with good accuracy even for small system sizes when one analyses the behaviour of the zeros of the partition function. The phase diagram of the model displays a line of second-order phase transitions ending at a tricritical point, then a line of first-order transitions. We concentrate on critical and tricritical properties and compare the accuracy achieved via standard finite-size scaling of thermodynamic quantities with that from the zeros analysis. This latter analysis showcases spectacular precision, even for systems as small as 64 spins! We also show that the zeros are very sensitive to subtle crossover effects.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗