Quantum Phase Transitions

We give a general introduction to quantum phase transitions in strongly-correlated electron systems. These transitions which occur at zero temperature when a non-thermal parameter $g$ like pressure, chemical composition or magnetic field is tuned to a critical value are characterized by a dynamic exponent $z$ related to the energy and length scales $\Delta$ and $\xi$. Simple arguments based on an expansion to first order in the effective interaction allow to define an upper-critical dimension $D_{C}=4$ (where $D=d+z$ and $d$ is the spatial dimension) below which mean-field description is no longer valid. We emphasize the role of pertubative renormalization group (RG) approaches and self-consistent renormalized spin fluctuation (SCR-SF) theories to understand the quantum-classical crossover in the vicinity of the quantum critical point with generalization to the Kondo effect in heavy-fermion systems. Finally we quote some recent inelastic neutron scattering experiments performed on heavy-fermions which lead to unusual scaling law in $\omega /T$ for the dynamical spin susceptibility revealing critical local modes beyond the itinerant magnetism scheme and mention new attempts to describe this local quantum critical point.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figure

Electroweak Phase Transitions

Recent developments on the four dimensional (4d) lattice studies of the finite temperature electroweak phase transition (EWPT) are summarized. The phase diagram is given in the continuum limit. The finite temperature SU(2)-Higgs phase transition is of first order for Higgs-boson masses m_H<66.5 +/- 1.4 GeV. Above this endpoint only a rapid cross-over can be seen. The full 4d result agrees completely with that of the dimensional reduction approximation. The Higgs-boson endpoint mass in the Standard Model (SM) would be 72.1 +/- 1.4 GeV. Taking into account the LEP Higgs-boson mass lower bound excludes any EWPT in the SM. A one-loop calculation of the static potential in the SU(2)-Higgs model enables a precise comparison between lattice simulations and perturbative results. The most popular extension of the SM, the Minimal Supersymmetric SM (MSSM) is also studied on 4d lattices.Comment: 5 pages, Talk given at 17th International Symposium on Lattice Field Theory (LATTICE 99), Pisa, Italy, 29 Jun - 3 Jul 199

Geometrical Phase Transitions

The geometrical approach to phase transitions is illustrated by simulating the high-temperature representation of the Ising model on a square lattice.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, talk presented at Conference on Computational Physics 2004, Genoa, 1-4 September 2004; 2nd version: slightly expanded versio

Entanglement Induced Phase Transitions

Starting from the canonical ensemble over the space of pure quantum states, we obtain an integral representation for the partition function. This is used to calculate the magnetisation of a system of N spin-1/2 particles. The results suggest the existence of a new type of first order phase transition that occurs at zero temperature in the absence of spin-spin interactions. The transition arises as a consequence of quantum entanglement. The effects of internal interactions are analysed and the behaviour of the magnetic susceptibility for a small number of interacting spins is determined.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure

Quantum phase transitions

In recent years, quantum phase transitions have attracted the interest of both theorists and experimentalists in condensed matter physics. These transitions, which are accessed at zero temperature by variation of a non-thermal control parameter, can influence the behavior of electronic systems over a wide range of the phase diagram. Quantum phase transitions occur as a result of competing ground state phases. The cuprate superconductors which can be tuned from a Mott insulating to a d-wave superconducting phase by carrier doping are a paradigmatic example. This review introduces important concepts of phase transitions and discusses the interplay of quantum and classical fluctuations near criticality. The main part of the article is devoted to bulk quantum phase transitions in condensed matter systems. Several classes of transitions will be briefly reviewed, pointing out, e.g., conceptual differences between ordering transitions in metallic and insulating systems. An interesting separate class of transitions are boundary phase transitions where only degrees of freedom of a subsystem become critical; this will be illustrated in a few examples. The article is aimed on bridging the gap between high-level theoretical presentations and research papers specialized in certain classes of materials. It will give an overview over a variety of different quantum transitions, critically discuss open theoretical questions, and frequently make contact with recent experiments in condensed matter physics.Comment: 50 pages, 7 figs; (v2) final version as publishe

String mediated phase transitions

It is demonstrated from first principles how the existence of string-like structures can cause a system to undergo a phase transition. In particular, the role of topologically stable cosmic string in the restoration of spontaneously broken symmetries is emphasized. How the thermodynamic properties of strings alter when stiffness and nearest neighbor string-string interactions are included is discussed