Cluster Percolation and Explicit Symmetry Breaking in Spin Models

Many features of spin models can be interpreted in geometrical terms by means of the properties of well defined clusters of spins. In case of spontaneous symmetry breaking, the phase transition of models like the q-state Potts model, O(n), etc., can be equivalently described as a percolation transition of clusters. We study here the behaviour of such clusters when the presence of an external field H breaks explicitly the global symmetry of the Hamiltonian of the theory. We find that these clusters have still some interesting relationships with thermal features of the model.Comment: Proceedings of Lattice 2001 (Berlin), 3 pages, 3 figure

A Geometrical Interpretation of Hyperscaling Breaking in the Ising Model

In random percolation one finds that the mean field regime above the upper critical dimension can simply be explained through the coexistence of infinite percolating clusters at the critical point. Because of the mapping between percolation and critical behaviour in the Ising model, one might check whether the breakdown of hyperscaling in the Ising model can also be intepreted as due to an infinite multiplicity of percolating Fortuin-Kasteleyn clusters at the critical temperature T_c. Preliminary results suggest that the scenario is much more involved than expected due to the fact that the percolation variables behave differently on the two sides of T_c.Comment: Lattice2002(spin

Green's Functions from Quantum Cluster Algorithms

We show that cluster algorithms for quantum models have a meaning independent of the basis chosen to construct them. Using this idea, we propose a new method for measuring with little effort a whole class of Green's functions, once a cluster algorithm for the partition function has been constructed. To explain the idea, we consider the quantum XY model and compute its two point Green's function in various ways, showing that all of them are equivalent. We also provide numerical evidence confirming the analytic arguments. Similar techniques are applicable to other models. In particular, in the recently constructed quantum link models, the new technique allows us to construct improved estimators for Wilson loops and may lead to a very precise determination of the glueball spectrum.Comment: 15 pages, LaTeX, with four figures. Added preprint numbe

Critical Droplets and Phase Transitions in Two Dimensions

In two space dimensions, the percolation point of the pure-site clusters of the Ising model coincides with the critical point T_c of the thermal transition and the percolation exponents belong to a special universality class. By introducing a bond probability p_B<1, the corresponding site-bond clusters keep on percolating at T_c and the exponents do not change, until p_B=p_CK=1-exp(-2J/kT): for this special expression of the bond weight the critical percolation exponents switch to the 2D Ising universality class. We show here that the result is valid for a wide class of bidimensional models with a continuous magnetization transition: there is a critical bond probability p_c such that, for any p_B>=p_c, the onset of percolation of the site-bond clusters coincides with the critical point of the thermal transition. The percolation exponents are the same for p_c<p_B<=1 but, for p_B=p_c, they suddenly change to the thermal exponents, so that the corresponding clusters are critical droplets of the phase transition. Our result is based on Monte Carlo simulations of various systems near criticality.Comment: Final version for publication, minor changes, figures adde

Exact sampling from non-attractive distributions using summary states

Propp and Wilson's method of coupling from the past allows one to efficiently generate exact samples from attractive statistical distributions (e.g., the ferromagnetic Ising model). This method may be generalized to non-attractive distributions by the use of summary states, as first described by Huber. Using this method, we present exact samples from a frustrated antiferromagnetic triangular Ising model and the antiferromagnetic q=3 Potts model. We discuss the advantages and limitations of the method of summary states for practical sampling, paying particular attention to the slowing down of the algorithm at low temperature. In particular, we show that such a slowing down can occur in the absence of a physical phase transition.Comment: 5 pages, 6 EPS figures, REVTeX; additional information at http://wol.ra.phy.cam.ac.uk/mackay/exac

Center clusters in the Yang-Mills vacuum

Properties of local Polyakov loops for SU(2) and SU(3) lattice gauge theory at finite temperature are analyzed. We show that spatial clusters can be identified where the local Polyakov loops have values close to the same center element. For a suitable definition of these clusters the deconfinement transition can be characterized by the onset of percolation in one of the center sectors. The analysis is repeated for different resolution scales of the lattice and we argue that the center clusters have a continuum limit.Comment: Table added. Final version to appear in JHE

Percolation on the average and spontaneous magnetization for q-states Potts model on graph

We prove that the q-states Potts model on graph is spontaneously magnetized at finite temperature if and only if the graph presents percolation on the average. Percolation on the average is a combinatorial problem defined by averaging over all the sites of the graph the probability of belonging to a cluster of a given size. In the paper we obtain an inequality between this average probability and the average magnetization, which is a typical extensive function describing the thermodynamic behaviour of the model

On the non-ergodicity of the Swendsen-Wang-Kotecky algorithm on the kagome lattice

We study the properties of the Wang-Swendsen-Kotecky cluster Monte Carlo algorithm for simulating the 3-state kagome-lattice Potts antiferromagnet at zero temperature. We prove that this algorithm is not ergodic for symmetric subsets of the kagome lattice with fully periodic boundary conditions: given an initial configuration, not all configurations are accessible via Monte Carlo steps. The same conclusion holds for single-site dynamics.Comment: Latex2e. 22 pages. Contains 11 figures using pstricks package. Uses iopart.sty. Final version accepted in journa

Dynamic Critical Behavior of the Swendsen-Wang Algorithm: The Two-Dimensional 3-State Potts Model Revisited

We have performed a high-precision Monte Carlo study of the dynamic critical behavior of the Swendsen-Wang algorithm for the two-dimensional 3-state Potts model. We find that the Li-Sokal bound ($\tau_{int,E} \geq const \times C_H$) is almost but not quite sharp. The ratio $\tau_{int,E} / C_H$ seems to diverge either as a small power ($\approx 0.08$) or as a logarithm.Comment: 35 pages including 3 figures. Self-unpacking file containing the LaTeX file, the needed macros (epsf.sty, indent.sty, subeqnarray.sty, and eqsection.sty) and the 3 Postscript figures. Revised version fixes a normalization error in \xi (with many thanks to Wolfhard Janke for finding the error!). To be published in J. Stat. Phys. 87, no. 1/2 (April 1997

Random percolation as a gauge theory

Three-dimensional bond or site percolation theory on a lattice can be interpreted as a gauge theory in which the Wilson loops are viewed as counters of topological linking with random clusters. Beyond the percolation threshold large Wilson loops decay with an area law and show the universal shape effects due to flux tube quantum fluctuations like in ordinary confining gauge theories. Wilson loop correlators define a non-trivial spectrum of physical states of increasing mass and spin, like the glueballs of ordinary gauge theory. The crumbling of the percolating cluster when the length of one periodic direction decreases below a critical threshold accounts for the finite temperature deconfinement, which belongs to 2-D percolation universality class.Comment: 20 pages, 14 figure