arXiv subjects

Zhang-Yu Nie

Publications and source records attributed to Zhang-Yu Nie.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Universal fingerprint of topological defect cores

Topological defects are ubiquitous in physics, arising from condensed matter physics to the early universe. Although there exist many universal scaling laws for correlations between topological defects, such as Porod scaling, the fingerprint of topological defect cores has remained largely unexplored. Here, we discover a universal scaling law in the region $k>1/ξ$, where $ξ$ is the healing length of the topological defects, taking the scaling of the form factor $S_f \propto k^{-(d+p+2)}$, where $d$ is the spatial dimension and $p$ is the defect codimension. We analytically prove that this exponent originates from a universal V-shaped cusp at the defect core and is independent of the underlying system and dynamics. Numerical simulations verify this scaling law in four typical frameworks: the time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau and Gross-Pitaevskii equations in the weak-coupling regime, the gauge/gravity duality model in the strong-coupling regime, and the Klein-Gordon equation in the Friedmann-Robertson-Walker background in cosmology. Our work provides a new probe for studying topological defects in systems ranging from superconductors to cosmological phase transitions.

hep-th↗

arXiv2026

Holographic SU(3) color superconductivity at finite baryon chemical potential

We present a holographic model of SU(3) color superconductivity (CSC) where a global color symmetry is spontaneously broken by a diquark condensate at finite baryon chemical potential. At $μ_b=0$, a systematic stability analysis over all SU(3) channels recovers the known SU(2) s+p competition. Based on that, the finite $μ_b$ further generalizes the s-wave order to an S1+iS2 structure. We find that $μ_b$ enhances the critical temperature of the S1+iS2 phase while suppressing the p-wave -- the latter vanishes beyond a certain $μ_b$ when backreaction is included. This opposite trend reshapes the phase diagram: with increasing $μ_b$, the balanced S+ phase (S1=S2) takes over the entire color-superconducting region. Our non-Abelian framework provides a concrete holographic description of global SU(3) symmetry breaking, relevant for understanding color-superconducting phases in dense QCD and may offer new insights into the physics of neutron-star interiors.

hep-th↗

arXiv2026

Interior geometry of black holes as a probe of first-order phase transition

Traditional diagnostics of black hole phase transitions rely on thermodynamic quantities defined at the event horizon or asymptotic boundary. Here, we demonstrate that the near-singularity geometry offers a sharp, independent probe of both first-order phase transitions and supercritical crossover. For scalarized AdS black holes exhibiting a first-order phase transition, the Kasner exponent $p_t$, which characterizes the approach to the singularity, undergoes a dramatic transformation. On one side of the transition, $p_t$ oscillates strongly with temperature, reflecting violent interior dynamics. On the other side, it becomes a smooth, monotonically varying function. These two distinct behaviors converge as the critical point is approached. Beyond the critical point, in the supercritical region, $p_t(T)$ develops a distinct extremum, defining a Kasner crossover line that is entirely independent of traditional thermodynamic (Widom line) or dynamic (Frenkel line) criteria. Our work establishes the near geometry of singularity of scalarized black hole as a novel class of diagnostics for phase transitions, revealing that a change in the macroscopic thermodynamic state fundamentally reshapes the deepest interior structure of spacetime.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2026

Thermodynamic Supercriticality and Complex Phase Diagram for Charged AdS Black Holes in Trace Anomaly Gravity

We extend the Lee-Yang phase transition framework to charged anti-de Sitter (AdS) black holes in four-dimensional trace anomaly gravity. By treating the horizon radius as a complex variable, we derive a fully resolved complex phase diagram that uncovers novel supercritical phenomena within this modified gravity setting. Relative to the standard Reissner-Nordström-AdS black hole, the trace anomaly shifts the location of the critical point: for a representative set of anomaly parameters, both the critical pressure and critical temperature are suppressed. The Widom line is rigorously identified as the projection of the complex Lee-Yang zeros onto the real physical phase plane, a trajectory that demarcates the small-black-hole-like and large-black-hole-like phases throughout the supercritical regime. We also independently recover this same Widom line via the thermodynamic response function method, demonstrating that the two definitions are in excellent quantitative agreement in the near-critical region and share identical universal scaling behavior. Furthermore, our analysis reveals a smooth, continuous crossover across the Widom line as probed by thermodynamic response functions--a behavior fundamentally distinct from the discontinuous first-order phase transitions that occur below the critical point. These results offer new, physically concrete insights into the thermodynamics of quantum-corrected black holes.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2026

Nonequilibrium crossover in the supercritical region from quench dynamics

Distinguishing different subphases in the supercritical region is an important issue in statistical physics and condensed matter physics. Traditional approaches rely mainly on static thermodynamic response functions or equilibrium correlation functions, which are essentially limited to quasistatic processes. In this paper, we investigate the evolution behavior of a system after a rapid quench from the perspective of nonequilibrium dynamics within a holographic model. We find that, using the time at which inhomogeneous structures appear most rapidly, we can define a supercritical crossover curve based on the pure phase separation process. In addition, the uniform invasion phenomenon induced by topological defects persists in the supercritical region, and the invasion velocity exhibits a clear turning point as a function of the quench endpoint. This turning point can define another new nonequilibrium supercritical crossover line that simultaneously incorporates the effects of both symmetry breaking and phase separation. Unlike the classical Widom line or Frenkel line, these two new crossover lines contain both thermodynamic information and dynamical information, reflecting the dynamical nature of the supercritical region under nonequilibrium conditions. This work provides a novel nonequilibrium dynamical approach for characterizing supercritical subphases.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2026

Phase transitions in scalarized topological AdS black holes

We investigate the behavior of black hole scalarization induced by a charged scalar field in the extended phase space of the asymptotic AdS spacetime with three distinct horizon topologies. The results indicate that in all three cases, the charged black hole spacetime undergoes scalarization at low temperatures. Notably, the spherical topology is unique in that its domain of scalarization theoretically extends to much higher temperatures under low pressure in the extended phase space. Moreover, the scalarization process in the spherical case exhibits complex phase transition behaviors without additional non-linear terms, which are similar to those in the planar and hyperbolic topologies with the assistance of non-linear terms. With increasing pressure in the extended phase space, the condensate of the scalarization in all three cases undergoes a transition from the first-order style to a cave-of-wind style. This study provides deeper insight into the zeroth-order phase transition during black hole scalarization and reveals the complete phase structure of black holes in the extended phase space.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2026

Holographic s+p superconductors with nonlinear electrodynamics

We investigate a holographic s+p superconductor model coupled to nonlinear electrodynamics in the probe limit. The equations of motion are solved numerically, and the condensates as well as the grand potential curves for phase transitions at different values of the nonlinear parameter $b$ are illustrated. It is found that as $b$ increases, both the pure s-wave and p-wave condensates are suppressed. From the $b-T$ phase diagram, we observe that the region of the pure s-wave phase gradually shrinks with increasing $b$, which is attributed to the stronger suppression on the s-wave condensate compared to the one on the p-wave. Moreover, a smaller charge ratio $q_p/q_s$ is needed for the s+p coexistent phase to appear as $b$ grows. A particularly interesting feature is that, due to the nonlinear self-interaction of the electromagnetic field, charge accumulates spontaneously outside the event horizon from the bulk perspective even in the absence of scalar and vector condensates, thereby invalidating the conventional formula for the superconducting charge density. We improve the definition of the superconducting charge density as the background-subtracted value of the accumulated charge outside the horizon with respect to that in the normal phase. Furthermore, the optical conductivity in the normal phase is also modified by this accumulated charge for finite $b$, and its imaginary part develops a minimum at a finite frequency. This minimum persists in the superconducting phase near the critical point, confusing the extraction of the gap frequency.

hep-th↗

arXiv2026

Phase separation seeded by Z2 and U(1) topological defects from holography

We study the interaction between spontaneous symmetry breaking and phase separation dynamics in holography. Using a double-quench protocol, the system first rapidly crosses the critical point and generates topological defects, while a second quench drives the system into a nonlinear unstable regime with spinodal decomposition. We investigate both $\mathbb{Z}_2$ and $U(1)$ symmetric systems, where different types of topological defects emerge during symmetry breaking. We show that topological defects dynamically determine the nucleation sites of phase separation. As the instability grows, the defect cores expand into macroscopic phase-separated domains. Despite the distinct symmetries and topological properties of these defects, both systems exhibit the same universal dynamical behavior, indicating that topological defects can universally serve as dynamical seeds for subsequent phase separation.

hep-th↗

arXiv2026

Topological defect induced phase separation in a holographic system

We investigate the coupled dynamics of symmetry breaking and phase separation during quenches across the critical point in a first-order phase transition. Based on the Einstein-Maxwell-scalar theory, we construct a holographic superfluid model with $\mathbb{Z}_2$ symmetry. By introducing higher-order nonlinear terms $λΨ^4$ and $τΨ^6$ into the scalar field potential, we realize a rich phase structure, which enables us to study the coupling effects between symmetry breaking and phase separation. Furthermore, by preparing initial conditions with well-defined spatial partitions, we discover a new triggering mechanism for the invasion phenomenon, namely that kinks serve as triggering sites for the phase separation process. This study reveals a novel coupling mechanism between topological defects and phase separation, enriches our understanding of nonequilibrium structure formation in strongly coupled systems.

hep-th↗

arXiv2026

Stability analysis and double critical phenomenon in the Einstein-Maxwell-scalar theory

We investigate the dynamical stability and phase transition behavior in a holographic superfluid model incorporating higher-order self-interaction terms $λ|ψ|^4$, $τ|ψ|^6$, and a non-minimal coupling $h(ψ)=e^{α|ψ|^2}$. Thermodynamic and dynamical stability analyzes show that the thermodynamic stability and dynamical stability of the system are consistent. Phase diagram analysis reveals rich critical and supercritical phenomena. For fixed $λ<0$ and $α$, increasing $τ$ shrinks the first-order phase transition region to a critical point and then enters the supercritical region. When varying $α$, the system can exhibit no critical point and, most notably, a double critical phenomenon in which, as $α$ increases, the system first enters the supercritical region and then re-enters the first-order phase transition region. This double critical phenomenon driven by a single parameter is reported for the first time in holographic superfluid models, revealing a complex nonmonotonic coupling effect between the non-minimal coupling and higher-order interaction terms.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2026

Interior structure of black holes with nonlinear terms

We investigate the oscillation of the Kasner exponent $p_t$ near critical point of the hairy black holes dual to holographic superfluid and reveal a clear inverse periodicity $f(T_c/(T_c-T))$ in a large region below the critical temperature. We first introduce the fourth-power term with a coefficient $λ$ to adjust the oscillatory behavior of the Kasner exponent $p_t$ near the critical point. Importantly, we show that the nonlinear coefficient $λ$ provides accurate control of this periodicity: a positive $λ$ stretches the region, while a negative $λ$ compresses it. By contrast, the influence of another coefficient $τ$ is more concentrated in regions away from the critical point. This work provides a new perspective for understanding the complex dynamical structure inside black holes and extends the actively control from the fourth- and sixth-power term into the black hole interior region.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2025

Various phase transitions in a holographic p-wave superfluid model with nonlinear terms

This study investigates various phase transitions, including those of 2nd, 1st, and 0th order, in a holographic p-wave superfluid model incorporating 4th- and 6th-order nonlinear terms with coefficients $λ$ and $τ$. We demonstrate that these nonlinear terms provide universal control over the phase transitions of the p-wave model, qualitatively consistent with findings in the holographic s-wave case. By analyzing the condensate and free energy behavior across typical phase transitions, we quantitatively map out the $λ-τ$ parameter space that characterizes different transition types. For a slightly negative $λ$, we further establish a $τ-ρ$ phase diagram featuring a line of first-order phase transition points that terminates at a critical point, beyond which lies a supercritical region. Our results confirm the precise tunability of the p-wave superfluid phase transitions through $λ$ and $τ$. The comprehensive phase diagrams and quantitative transition criteria we provide offer a valuable resource for future studies.

hep-th↗

arXiv2025

Characterized behaviors of black hole thermodynamics in the supercritical region

The comprehension of universal thermodynamic behaviors in the supercritical region is crucial for examining the characteristics of black hole systems under high temperature and pressure. This study is devoted to the analysis of characteristic lines and crossover behaviors within the supercritical region. By making use of the free energy, we introduce three key thermodynamic quantities: scaled variance, skewness, and kurtosis. Our results demonstrate that the Widom line, associated with the maximal scaled variance, can effectively differentiate between small and large black hole-like subphases, each displaying distinct thermodynamic behaviors within the supercritical region. Furthermore, by utilizing quasinormal modes, we identify the Frenkel line, offering a dynamic perspective to distinguish between small and large black hole-like subphases. These contribute to a deeper comprehension of black hole subphases in the supercritical region, thus illuminating new facets of black hole thermodynamics.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2025

Phase transitions in a holographic superfluid model with non-linear terms beyond the probe limit

We study the holographic s-wave superfluid model with 4th and 6th power self-interaction terms $λ|ψ|^4$ and $τ|ψ|^6$ with considering the full back-reaction of the matter fields on the metric in the 3+1 dimensional bulk. The self-interaction terms are good at controlling the condensate to realize various phase transitions, such as the zeroth-order, first-order, and second-order phase transitions within the single condensate s-wave superfluid model. Therefore, in this work, we are able to investigate the influence of the back-reaction strength on the various phase transitions, including the zeroth and first order phase transitions. In addition, we confirm that the influence of the 4th and 6th power terms on the superfluid phase transition in the case of finite back-reaction are qualitative the same as in the probe limit, thus present universality. We also plot the special value $λ_s$ of the parameter $λ$ at different back-reaction strength, below which the condensate grows to an opposite direction and is important in controlling the order of the superfluid phase transitions. Comparing the influence of the back-reaction parameter and that of the higher-order nonlinear coefficients, we see that the back-reaction strength brings in both the effective couplings similar to the 4th power and 6th power terms.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2025

Holographic s+p superconductors with axion induced translation symmetry breaking

We construct a holographic model for an s+p superconductor with axion-induced translation symmetry breaking within the framework of gauge/gravity duality, working in the probe limit. The equations of motion are solved numerically to investigate the influence of the parameter $k/T$ on the competition and coexistence between the s-wave and p-wave orders. We find that increasing $k/T$ suppresses the thermodynamic stability of both the single condensate s-wave and p-wave solutions. With the $k-μ$ phase diagram and the condensate curves, we see that the region dominated by the single condensate p-wave phase gradually decreases with the increasing of $k/T$, finally leaving only the single condensate s-wave phase in the large $k/T$ region, which is explained by the grand potential curves showing a slower decreasing of the thermodynamic stability for the s-wave solution than that for the p-wave solution. Furthermore, a larger minimum ratio of the charges $q_p/q_s$ is required to stabilize the s+p coexistent phase as $k/T$ increases, and we determine the precise dependence of this critical ratio on $k/T$. Finally, our study of the optical conductivity reveals that the gap frequency increases with $k/T$. A characteristic kink, associated with the s+p coexistent phase, is identified in the dependence of gap frenquency on $k/T$, which could serve as a potential experimental signature for detecting multi-condensate superconductivity.

hep-th↗

arXiv2025

Interior structure of the holographic s + p superconductor and chaotic-stable transition near the black hole singularity

In this work, we investigate the interior structure of a holographic multi-band superconductor with the coexistence of s-wave and p-wave order parameters. Especially, we investigate the singularity structure of this multi-band model. Different from the single p-wave case, the alternation rule is jointly determined by parameters involving both s-wave order and p-wave order. In the coexistence region, we derive the Kasner alternation laws from both analytical and numerical methods which fit each other nicely. Furthermore, we find that the occurrence of the s-wave order parameter will lead to a chaotic-stable transition for the near singularity structure which matches the expectation of cosmological billiard approach. This novel transition for the near singularity structure constitutes a holographic counterpart of the secondary condensation in boundary superconducting system, offering a complementary perspective for characterizing the properties of boundary condensed matter systems.

hep-th↗

arXiv2025

Diving into a holographic multi-band superconductor

In this work, we investigate the interior structure of a holographic multi-band superconductor model. We focus on the holographic superconductor system with two scalar fields which correspond to two s-wave order parameters in the dual condensed matter system. We discover a new kind of transition rule among Kasner universe near the black hole singularity which is distinct from the holographic single-band superconductor model. This transition rule is the first generalization of Kasner transition behavior to scenarios involving multiple free parameters, which is useful for uncovering the most general interior structures of hairy black holes. Moreover, we find that the Kasner exponents are sensitive to the details of order parameters in boundary system. These different near singularity structures we found show that the black hole interior plays crucial role in characterizing the boundary dual condensed matter systems.

hep-th↗

arXiv2025

Phase transitions in a holographic s+d model from the 4D Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet gravity

In this work, the phase structure of a holographic s+d model with quartic potential terms from the 4D Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet gravity is studied in the probe limit. We first show the $q_d-μ$ phase diagram with a very small value of the Gauss-Bonnet coefficient $α=1\times10^{-7}$ and in absence of the quartic terms to locate the suitable choice of the value of $q_d$, where the system admits coexistent s+d solutions. Then we consider various values of the Gauss-Bonnet coefficient $α$ and present the $α-μ$ phase diagram to show the influence of the Gauss-Bonnet term on the phase structure. We also give an example of the reentrant phase transition which is also realized in the holographic s+s and s+p models. After that we confirm the universality of the influence of the quartic term with coefficient $λ_d$ on the d-wave solutions, which is similar to the case of s-wave and p-wave solutions previously studied in the s+p model. Finally we give the dependence of the special values of the quartic term coefficient $λ_d$ on the Gauss-Bonnet coefficient $α$, below which the d-wave condensate grows to an opposite direction at the (quasi-)critical point, which is useful in realizing 1st order phase transitions in further studies of the holographic d-wave superfluids.

hep-th↗