Critical behavior of the three-dimensional random-anisotropy Heisenberg model

We have studied the critical properties of the three-dimensional random anisotropy Heisenberg model by means of numerical simulations using the Parallel Tempering method. We have simulated the model with two different disorder distributions, cubic and isotropic ones, with two different anisotropy strengths for each disorder class. For the case of the anisotropic disorder, we have found evidence of universality by finding critical exponents and universal dimensionless ratios independent of the strength of the disorder. In the case of isotropic disorder distribution the situation is very involved: we have found two phase transitions in the magnetization channel which are merging for larger lattices remaining a zero magnetization low-temperature phase. Studying this region using a spin-glass order parameter we have found evidence for a spin-glass phase transition. We have estimated effective critical exponents for the spin-glass phase transition for the different values of the strength of the isotropic disorder, discussing the crossover regime.

Critical behavior of the weakly disordered Ising model: Six-loop sqrt[ɛ] expansion study

The critical behavior of three-dimensional weakly diluted quenched Ising model is examined on the base of six-loop renormalization group expansions obtained within the minimal subtraction scheme in 4-ɛ space dimensions. For this purpose the ϕ^{4} field theory with cubic symmetry was analyzed in the replica limit n→0. Along with renormalization group expansions in terms of renormalized couplings the sqrt[ɛ] expansions of critical exponents are presented. Corresponding numerical estimates for the physical, three-dimensional system are obtained by means of different resummation procedures applied both to the sqrt[ɛ] series and to initial renormalization group expansions. The results given by the latter approach are in a good agreement with their counterparts obtained experimentally and within the Monte Carlo simulations, while resumming of sqrt[ɛ] series themselves turned out to be disappointing.

Self-averaging in the random two-dimensional Ising ferromagnet

We study sample-to-sample fluctuations in a critical two-dimensional Ising model with quenched random ferromagnetic couplings. Using replica calculations in the renormalization group framework we derive explicit expressions for the probability distribution function of the critical internal energy and for the specific heat fluctuations. It is shown that the disorder distribution of internal energies is Gaussian, and the typical sample-to-sample fluctuations as well as the average value scale with the system size L like ∼Llnln(L). In contrast, the specific heat is shown to be self-averaging with a distribution function that tends to a δ peak in the thermodynamic limit L→∞. While previously a lack of self-averaging was found for the free energy, we here obtain results for quantities that are directly measurable in simulations, and implications for measurements in the actual lattice system are discussed.

Monte Carlo study of anisotropic scaling generated by disorder

We analyze the critical properties of the three-dimensional Ising model with linear parallel extended defects. Such a form of disorder produces two distinct correlation lengths, a parallel correlation length ξ(∥) in the direction along defects and a perpendicular correlation length ξ(⊥) in the direction perpendicular to the lines. Both ξ(∥) and ξ(⊥) diverge algebraically in the vicinity of the critical point, but the corresponding critical exponents ν(∥) and ν(⊥) take different values. This property is specific for anisotropic scaling and the ratio ν(∥)/ν(⊥) defines the anisotropy exponent θ. Until now, estimates of quantitative characteristics of the critical behavior for such systems have been obtained only within the renormalization group approach. We report a study of the anisotropic scaling in this system via Monte Carlo simulation of the three-dimensional system with Ising spins and nonmagnetic impurities arranged into randomly distributed parallel lines. Several independent estimates for the anisotropy exponent θ of the system are obtained, as well as an estimate of the susceptibility exponent γ. Our results corroborate the renormalization group predictions obtained earlier.

Entropic equation of state and scaling functions near the critical point in uncorrelated scale-free networks

We analyze the entropic equation of state for a many-particle interacting system in a scale-free network. The analysis is performed in terms of scaling functions, which are of fundamental interest in the theory of critical phenomena and have previously been theoretically and experimentally explored in the context of various magnetic, fluid, and superconducting systems in two and three dimensions. Here, we obtain general scaling functions for the entropy, the constant-field heat capacity, and the isothermal magnetocaloric coefficient near the critical point in uncorrelated scale-free networks, where the node-degree distribution exponent λ appears to be a global variable and plays a crucial role, similar to the dimensionality d for systems on lattices. This extends the principle of universality to systems on scale-free networks and allows quantification of the impact of fluctuations in the network structure on critical behavior.

Short-time dynamics and critical behavior of the three-dimensional site-diluted Ising model

Monte Carlo simulations of the short-time dynamic behavior are reported for three-dimensional weakly site-diluted Ising model with spin concentrations p=0.95 and 0.8 at criticality. In contrast to studies of the critical behavior of the pure systems by the short-time dynamics method, our investigations of site-diluted Ising model have revealed three stages of the dynamic evolution characterizing a crossover phenomenon from the critical behavior typical for the pure systems to behavior determined by the influence of disorder. The static and dynamic critical exponents are determined with the use of the corrections to scaling for systems starting separately from ordered and disordered initial states. The obtained values of the exponents demonstrate a universal behavior of weakly site-diluted Ising model in the critical region. The values of the exponents are compared to results of numerical simulations which have been obtained in various works and, also, with results of the renormalization-group description of this model.

Field theory of bicritical and tetracritical points. I. Statics

We calculate the static critical behavior of systems of O(n_||)(plus sign in circle)O(n_perpendicular) symmetry by the renormalization group method within the minimal subtraction scheme in two-loop order. Summation methods lead to fixed points describing multicritical behavior. Their stability border lines in the space of the order parameter components n_|| and n_perpendicular and spatial dimension d are calculated. The essential features obtained already in two-loop order for the interesting case of an antiferromagnet in a magnetic field ( n_|| =1, n_perpendicular =2 ) are the stability of the biconical fixed point and the neighborhood of the stability border lines to the other fixed points, leading to very small transient exponents. We are also able to calculate the flow of static couplings, which allows us to consider the attraction region. Depending on the nonuniversal background parameters, the existence of different multicritical behavior (bicritical or tetracritical) is possible, including a triple point.

Static and dynamic structure factors in three-dimensional randomly diluted Ising models

We consider the three-dimensional randomly diluted Ising model and study the critical behavior of the static and dynamic spin-spin correlation functions (static and dynamic structure factors) at the paramagnetic-ferromagnetic transition in the high-temperature phase. We consider a purely relaxational dynamics without conservation laws, the so-called model A. We present Monte Carlo simulations and perturbative field-theoretical calculations. While the critical behavior of the static structure factor is quite similar to that occurring in pure Ising systems, the dynamic structure factor shows a substantially different critical behavior. In particular, the dynamic correlation function shows a large-time decay rate which is momentum independent. This effect is not related to the presence of the Griffiths tail, which is expected to be irrelevant in the critical limit, but rather to the breaking of translational invariance, which occurs for any sample and which, at the critical point, is not recovered even after the disorder average.

Critical adsorption of polymers in a medium with long-range correlated quenched disorder

The process of adsorption on a planar wall of long flexible polymer chains in a medium with quenched long-range correlated disorder is investigated. We focus on the case of correlations between defects or impurities that decay according to the power law x(-a) for large distances x , where x= (r,z) . A field theoretical approach in d=4-epsilon and directly in d=3 dimensions up to one-loop order for the semi-infinite |phi|(4) m-vector model (in the limit m-->0 ) with a planar boundary is used. The whole set of surface critical exponents at the adsorption threshold T= T(a) , which separates the nonadsorbed region from the adsorbed one, is obtained. Moreover, we calculate the crossover critical exponent Phi and the set of exponents associated with it. We perform calculations in a double epsilon=4-d and delta=4-a expansion and also for a fixed dimension d=3 , up to one-loop order for different values of the correlation parameter 2< a < or =3 . The obtained results indicate that for systems with long-range correlated quenched disorder a different set of surface critical exponents arises. All the surface critical exponents depend on a . Hence, the presence of long-range correlated disorder influences the process of adsorption of long flexible polymer chains on a wall in a significant way.

Spin models with random anisotropy and reflection symmetry

We study the critical behavior of a general class of cubic-symmetric spin systems in which disorder preserves the reflection symmetry s(a) --> -s(a) , s(b) --> s(b) for b not equala . This includes spin models in the presence of random cubic-symmetric anisotropy with probability distribution vanishing outside the lattice axes. Using nonperturbative arguments we show the existence of a stable fixed point corresponding to the random-exchange Ising universality class. The field-theoretical renormalization-group flow is investigated in the framework of a fixed-dimension expansion in powers of appropriate quartic couplings, computing the corresponding beta functions to five loops. This analysis shows that the random Ising fixed point is the only stable fixed point that is accessible from the relevant parameter region. Therefore, if the system undergoes a continuous transition, it belongs to the random-exchange Ising universality class. The approach to the asymptotic critical behavior is controlled by scaling corrections with exponent Delta= -alpha(r) , where alpha(r) approximately -0.05 is the specific-heat exponent of the random-exchange Ising model.

Crossover behavior in three-dimensional dilute spin systems

We study the crossover behaviors that can be observed in the high-temperature phase of three-dimensional dilute spin systems, using a field-theoretical approach. In particular, for randomly dilute Ising systems we consider the Gaussian-to-random and the pure-Ising-to-random crossover, determining the corresponding crossover functions for the magnetic susceptibility and the correlation length. Moreover, for the physically interesting cases of dilute Ising, XY, and Heisenberg systems, we estimate several universal ratios of scaling-correction amplitudes entering the high-temperature Wegner expansion of the magnetic susceptibility, of the correlation length, and of the zero-momentum quartic couplings.

Three-dimensional randomly dilute Ising model: Monte Carlo results

We perform a high-statistics simulation of the three-dimensional randomly dilute Ising model on cubic lattices L3 with L< or =256. We choose a particular value of the density, x=0.8, for which the leading scaling corrections are suppressed. We determine the critical exponents, obtaining nu=0.683(3), eta=0.035(2), beta=0.3535(17), and alpha=-0.049(9), in agreement with previous numerical simulations. We also estimate numerically the fixed-point values of the four-point zero-momentum couplings that are used in field-theoretical fixed-dimension studies. Although these results somewhat differ from those obtained using perturbative field theory, the field-theoretical estimates of the critical exponents do not change significantly if the Monte Carlo result for the fixed point is used. Finally, we determine the six-point zero-momentum couplings, relevant for the small-magnetization expansion of the equation of state, and the invariant amplitude ratio R(+)(xi) that expresses the universality of the free-energy density per correlation volume. We find R(+)(xi)=0.2885(15).