The many-body localization phase transition

We use exact diagonalization to explore the many-body localization transition in a random-field spin-1/2 chain. We examine the correlations within each many-body eigenstate, looking at all high-energy states and thus effectively working at infinite temperature. For weak random field the eigenstates are thermal, as expected in this nonlocalized, "ergodic" phase. For strong random field the eigenstates are localized, with only short-range entanglement. We roughly locate the localization transition and examine some of its finite-size scaling, finding that this quantum phase transition at nonzero temperature might be showing infinite-randomness scaling with a dynamic critical exponent $z\rightarrow\infty$.Comment: 7 pages, 8 figures. Extended version of arXiv:1003.2613v

Phase diagram of a random-anisotropy mixed-spin Ising model

We investigate the phase diagram of a mixed spin-1/2--spin-1 Ising system in the presence of quenched disordered anisotropy. We carry out a mean-field and a standard self-consistent Bethe--Peierls calculation. Depending on the amount of disorder, there appear novel transition lines and multicritical points. Also, we report some connections with a percolation problem and an exact result in one dimension.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in Physical Review

Universality in Random Walk Models with Birth and Death

Models of random walks are considered in which walkers are born at one location and die at all other locations with uniform death rate. Steady-state distributions of random walkers exhibit dimensionally dependent critical behavior as a function of the birth rate. Exact analytical results for a hyperspherical lattice yield a second-order phase transition with a nontrivial critical exponent for all positive dimensions $D\neq 2,~4$. Numerical studies of hypercubic and fractal lattices indicate that these exact results are universal. Implications for the adsorption transition of polymers at curved interfaces are discussed.Comment: 11 pages, revtex, 2 postscript figure

Conjectured Exact Percolation Thresholds of the Fortuin-Kasteleyn Cluster for the +-J Ising Spin Glass Model

The conjectured exact percolation thresholds of the Fortuin-Kasteleyn cluster for the +-J Ising spin glass model are theoretically shown based on a conjecture. It is pointed out that the percolation transition of the Fortuin-Kasteleyn cluster for the spin glass model is related to a dynamical transition for the freezing of spins. The present results are obtained as locations of points on the so-called Nishimori line, which is a special line in the phase diagram. We obtain TFK = 2 / ln [z / (z - 2)] and pFK = z / [2 (z - 1)] for the Bethe lattice, TFK -> infinity and pFK -> 1 / 2 for the infinite-range model, TFK = 2 / ln 3 and pFK = 3 / 4 for the square lattice, TFK ~ 3.9347 and pFK ~ 0.62441 for the simple cubic lattice, TFK ~ 6.191 and pFK ~ 0.5801 for the 4-dimensional hypercubic lattice, and TFK = 2 / ln {[1 + 2 sin (pi / 18)] / [1 - 2 sin (pi / 18) ]} and pFK = [1 + 2 sin (pi / 18) ] / 2 for the triangular lattice, when J / kB = 1, where z is the coordination number, J is the strength of the exchange interaction between spins, kB is the Boltzmann constant, TFK is the temperature at the percolation transition point, and pFK is the probability, that the interaction is ferromagnetic, at the percolation transition point.Comment: 10 pages, 1 figure. v8: this is the final versio

Analytical evidence for the absence of spin glass transition on self-dual lattices

We show strong evidence for the absence of a finite-temperature spin glass transition for the random-bond Ising model on self-dual lattices. The analysis is performed by an application of duality relations, which enables us to derive a precise but approximate location of the multicritical point on the Nishimori line. This method can be systematically improved to presumably give the exact result asymptotically. The duality analysis, in conjunction with the relationship between the multicritical point and the spin glass transition point for the symmetric distribution function of randomness, leads to the conclusion of the absence of a finite-temperature spin glass transition for the case of symmetric distribution. The result is applicable to the random bond Ising model with $\pm J$ or Gaussian distribution and the Potts gauge glass on the square, triangular and hexagonal lattices as well as the random three-body Ising model on the triangular and the Union-Jack lattices and the four dimensional random plaquette gauge model. This conclusion is exact provided that the replica method is valid and the asymptotic limit of the duality analysis yields the exact location of the multicritical pointComment: 11 Pages, 4 figures, 1 table. submitted to J. Phys. A Math. Theo

Many-body localization phase transition

We use exact diagonalization to explore the many-body localization transition in a random-field spin-1/2 chain. We examine the correlations within each many-body eigenstate, looking at all high-energy states and thus effectively working at infinite temperature. For weak random field the eigenstates are thermal, as expected in this nonlocalized, “ergodic” phase. For strong random field the eigenstates are localized with only shortrange entanglement. We roughly locate the localization transition and examine some of its finite-size scaling, finding that this quantum phase transition at nonzero temperature might be showing infinite-randomness scaling with a dynamic critical exponent z→�

From Disordered Crystal to Glass: Exact Theory

We calculate thermodynamic properties of a disordered model insulator, starting from the ideal simple-cubic lattice ($g = 0$) and increasing the disorder parameter $g$ to $\gg 1/2$. As in earlier Einstein- and Debye- approximations, there is a phase transition at $g_{c} = 1/2$. For $g<g_{c}$ the low-T heat-capacity $C \sim T^{3}$ whereas for $g>g_{c}$, $C \sim T$. The van Hove singularities disappear at {\em any finite $g$}. For $g>1/2$ we discover novel {\em fixed points} in the self-energy and spectral density of this model glass.Comment: Submitted to Phys. Rev. Lett., 8 pages, 4 figure