Topological Frustration can modify the nature of a Quantum Phase Transition

Marić, Vanja; Torre, Gianpaolo; Franchini, Fabio; Giampaolo, Salvatore Marco (2022) Topological Frustration can modify the nature of a Quantum Phase Transition. SciPost Physics, 12 (2). ISSN 2542-4653

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Abstract

Ginzburg-Landau theory of continuous phase transitions implicitly assumes that microscopic changes are negligible in determining the thermodynamic properties of the system. In this work we provide an example that clearly contrasts with this assumption. We show that topological frustration can change the nature of a second order quantum phase transition separating two different ordered phases. Even more remarkably, frustration is triggered simply by a suitable choice of boundary conditions in a 1D chain. While with every other BC each of two phases is characterized by its own local order parameter, with frustration no local order can survive. We construct string order parameters to distinguish the two phases, but, having proved that topological frustration is capable of altering the nature of a system's phase transition, our results pose a clear challenge to the current understanding of phase transitions in complex quantum systems.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Quantum Spin Chains; Frustration; Quantum Phase transitions
Subjects:	NATURAL SCIENCES > Physics NATURAL SCIENCES > Physics > Condensed Matter Physics
Divisions:	Theoretical Physics Division
Projects:	Project title Project leader Project code Project type Novel Characterizations of Classical and Quantum Many-Body Systems-ManyBodyCharacteriza Fabio Franchini IP-2016-06-3347 HRZZ Frustrirani kompleksni sustavi-FCS Salvatore Marco Giampaolo; Tena Dubček IP-2019-04-3321 HRZZ
Depositing User:	Fabio Franchini
Date Deposited:	27 Feb 2024 11:19
URI:	http://fulir.irb.hr/id/eprint/8646
DOI:	10.21468/SciPostPhys.12.2.075

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