We determine the finite-temperature phase diagram and critical behavior of the classical square-lattice Heisenberg-compass model using large-scale Monte Carlo simulations and finite-size scaling. Six symmetry distinct ordered phases are identified. The four phases that simultaneously break the spin-lattice $C_4$ and in-plane spin-inversion symmetries undergo continuous transitions in the Ashkin-Teller universality class, with the associated critical lines terminating at four-state Potts points, beyond which the transitions become first order. In contrast, the two $z$-polarized phases display conventional two-dimensional Ising criticality. Our results reveal how the interplay between Heisenberg exchange and compass anisotropy organizes these distinct critical regimes, thereby completing the characterization of the model's thermal phase transitions.
We investigate the classical chiral Ashkin-Teller model on a square lattice with the corner transfer matrix renormalisation group (CTMRG) algorithm. We show that the melting of the period-4 phase in the presence of a chiral perturbation takes different forms depending on the coefficient of the four-spin term in the Ashkin-Teller model. Close to the clock limit of two decoupled Ising models, the system undergoes a two-step commensurate-incommensurate transition as soon as the chirality is introduced, with an intermediate critical floating phase bounded by a Kosterlitz-Thouless transition at hig…
We study the challenging thermal phase transition to stripe order in the frustrated square-lattice Ising model with couplings J1<0 (nearest-neighbor, ferromagnetic) and J2>0 (second-neighbor, antiferromagnetic) for g=J2/|J1|>1/2. Using Monte Carlo simulations and known analytical results, we demonstrate Ashkin-Teller criticality for g>= g*, i.e., the critical exponents vary continuously between those of the 4-state Potts model at g=g* and the Ising model for g -> infinity. Thus, stripe transitions offer a route to realizing a related class of conformal field theories with conformal charge c=1 …
We discuss the effects of exponential fragmentation of the Hilbert space on phase transitions in the context of coupled ferromagnetic Ising models in arbitrary dimension with special emphasis on the one dimensional case. We show that the dynamics generated by quantum fluctuations is bounded within spatial partitions of the system and weak mixing of these partitions caused by global transverse fields leads to a zero temperature phase with ordering in the local product of both Ising copies but no long range order in either species. This leads to a natural connection with the Ashkin-Teller univer…
We study a quantum double model whose degrees of freedom are Ising anyons. The terms of the Hamiltonian of this system give rise to a competition between single and double topologies. By studying the energy spectra of the Hamiltonian at different values of the coupling constants, we find extended gapless regions which include a large number of critical points described by conformal field theories with central charge c=1. These theories are part of the Z_2 orbifold of the bosonic theory compactified on a circle. We observe that the Hilbert space of our anyonic model can be associated with exten…
We study a quantum Ising chain with tailored bulk dissipation, which can be mapped onto a non-Hermitian Ashkin-Teller model. By exploiting the Kohmoto-den Nijs-Kadanoff transformation, we further map it to a staggered XXZ spin chain with pure-imaginary anisotropy parameters. This allows us to study the eigenstates of the original Liouvillian in great detail. We show that the steady state in each parity sector is a completely mixed state. The uniqueness of each is proved rigorously. We then study the decay modes on the self-dual line corresponding to the uniform XXZ chain and obtain an exact fo…
We investigate the symmetric Ashkin-Teller (AT) model on the triangular lattice in the antiferromagnetic two-spin coupling region ($J<0$). In the $J \rightarrow -\infty$ limit, we map the AT model onto a fully-packed loop-dimer model on the honeycomb lattice. On the basis of this exact transformation and the low-temperature expansion, we formulate a variant of worm-type algorithms for the AT model, which significantly suppress the critical slowing-down. We analyze the Monte Carlo data by finite-size scaling, and locate a line of critical points of the Ising universality class in the region $J<…
The $N$-color quantum Ashkin-Teller spin chain is a prototypical model for the study of strong-randomness phenomena at first-order and continuous quantum phase transitions. In this paper, we first review the existing strong-disorder renormalization group approaches to the random quantum Ashkin-Teller chain in the weak-coupling as well as the strong-coupling regimes. We then introduce a novel general variable transformation that unifies the treatment of the strong-coupling regime. This allows us to determine the phase diagram for all color numbers $N$, and the critical behavior for all $N \ne 4…
We investigate the zero-temperature quantum phase transitions of the disordered three-color quantum Ashkin-Teller spin chain by means of large-scale Monte Carlo simulations. We find that the first-order phase transitions of the clean system are rounded by the quenched disorder. For weak inter-color coupling, the resulting emergent quantum critical point between the paramagnetic phase and the magnetically ordered Baxter phase is of infinite-randomness type and belongs to the universality class of the random transverse-field Ising model, as predicted by recent strong-disorder renormalization gro…
Extended Ashkin-Teller transition in two coupled frustrated Haldane chains
Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology（代尔夫特理工大学卡弗里纳米科学研究所）；Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics, University of Oxford（牛津大学鲁道夫·派尔斯理论物理中心）
Boundary critical phenomena in the quantum Ashkin-Teller model
University of Tokyo（东京大学）；Delft University of Technology（代尔夫特理工大学）；National Taiwan University（台湾大学）；National Tsing Hua University（国立清华大学）；The University of Tokyo（东京大学）
We use a simple real-space renormalization group approach to investigate the critical behavior of the quantum Ashkin-Teller model, a one-dimensional quantum spin chain possessing a line of criticality along which critical exponents vary continuously. This approach, which is based on exploiting the on-site symmetry of the model, has been shown to be surprisingly accurate for predicting some aspects of the critical behavior of the Ising model. Our investigation explores this approach in more generality, in a model where the critical behavior has a richer structure but which reduces to the simple…
QuTech and Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology（代尔夫特理工大学量子技术和卡弗里纳米科学研究所）；Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics, University of Oxford（牛津大学鲁道夫·皮尔斯理论物理中心）
Chains of Rydberg atoms have emerged as an amazing playground to study quantum physics in 1D. Playing with inter-atomic distances and laser detuning, one can in particular explore the commensurate-incommensurate transition out of charge-density waves through the Kibble-Zurek mechanism, and the possible presence of a chiral transition with dynamical exponent $z>1$. Here we address this problem theoretically with effective blockade models where the short-distance repulsions are replaced by a constraint of no double occupancy. For the period-4 phase, we show there is an Ashkin-Teller transition p…
We use the multiscale entanglement renormalisation ansatz (MERA) to numerically investigate three critical quantum spin chains with Z_2 x Z_2 on-site symmetry: a staggered XXZ model, a transverse field cluster model, and the quantum Ashkin-Teller model. All three models possess a continuous one-parameter family of critical points. Along this critical line, the thermodynamic limit of these models is expected to be described by classes of c=1 conformal field theories (CFTs) of two possible types: the S^1 free boson and its Z_2-orbifold. Our numerics using MERA with explicitly enforced Z_2 x Z_2 …
We investigate the effects of quenched disorder on first-order quantum phase transitions on the example of the $N$-color quantum Ashkin-Teller model. By means of a strong-disorder renormalization group, we demonstrate that quenched disorder rounds the first-order quantum phase transition to a continuous one for both weak and strong coupling between the colors. In the strong coupling case, we find a distinct type of infinite-randomness critical point characterized by additional internal degrees of freedom. We investigate its critical properties in detail, and we discuss broader implications for…
We report on Monte Carlo simulations for the two-dimensional frustrated $J_1$-$J_2$ Ising model on the square lattice. Recent analysis has shown that for the phase transition from the paramagnetic state to the antiferromagnetic collinear state different phase-transition scenarios apply depending on the value of the frustration $J_2 / J_1$. In particular a region with critical Ashkin-Teller-like behavior, i.e., a second-order phase transition with varying critical exponents, and a noncritical region with first-order indications were verified. However, the exact transition point $[J_2/J_1]_C$ be…
We analyze the phase transition of the frustrated $J_1$-$J_2$ Ising model with antiferromagnetic nearest- and strong next-nearest neighbor interactions on the square lattice. Using extensive Monte Carlo simulations we show that the nature of the phase transition for $1/2 < J_2/J_1 \lesssim 1$ is not of the weakly universal type -- as commonly believed -- but we conclude from the clearly doubly peaked structure of the energy histograms that the transition is of weak first order. Motivated by these results, we analyze the phase transitions via field-theoretic methods; i.e., we calculate the cent…
Anyons in a topologically ordered phase can carry fractional quantum numbers with respect to the symmetry group of the considered system, one example being the fractional charge of the quasiparticles in the fractional quantum Hall effect. When such symmetry-fractionalized anyons condense, the resulting phase must spontaneously break the symmetry and display a local order parameter. In this paper, we study the phase diagram and anyon condensation transitions of a $\mathbb{Z}_2$ topological order perturbed by Ising interactions in the Toric Code. The interplay between the global Ising symmetry a…
The phase diagram of the spin-1 bond-alternating XXZ chain is studied numerically. This model is appropriate to study the VBS picture and the hidden Z_2\times Z_2 symmetry concerning to the Haldane gap problem. The possible phases are the ferromagnetic, the XY, the Haldane, the dimer, and the Néel ones. The critical properties of this model can be interpreted as the Ashkin-Teller type reflecting the hidden Z_2\times Z_2 symmetry. The phase transitions are of the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless type (XY-Haldane and XY-dimer), of the 2D Gaussian type (Haldane-dimer), and of the 2D Ising type (Ha…
Using density matrix renormalization group simulations on open chains, we map out the wave-vector in the incommensurate disordered phase of a realistic model of Rydberg chains with $1/r^6$ interactions, and we locate and characterize the points along the commensurate lines where the transition out of the period 3 and 4 phases is conformal. We confirm that it is 3-state Potts for the period-3 phase, and we show that it is Ashkin-Teller with $ν\simeq 0.80$ for the period-4 phase. We further show that close to these points the transition is still continuous, but with a completely different scalin…
We present a detailed study of a model of close-packed dimers on the square lattice with an interaction between nearest-neighbor dimers. The interaction favors parallel alignment of dimers, resulting in a low-temperature crystalline phase. With large-scale Monte Carlo and Transfer Matrix calculations, we show that the crystal melts through a Kosterlitz-Thouless phase transition to give rise to a high-temperature critical phase, with algebraic decays of correlations functions with exponents that vary continuously with the temperature. We give a theoretical interpretation of these results by map…
We develop a microscopic theory of multipole interactions and orderings in 5$d^2$ transition metal ion compounds. In a cubic environment, the ground state of 5$d^2$ ions is a non-Kramers $E_g$ doublet, which is nonmagnetic but hosts quadrupole and octupole moments. We derive pseudospin one-half Hamiltonians describing various spin-orbital exchange processes between these ions. Direct overlap of the $t_{2g}$ orbitals results in bond-dependent pseudospin interactions similar to those for $e_g$ orbitals in manganites. The superexchange process via oxygen ions generates new types of pairwise inter…
Negative signs in many-body wavefunctions play an important role in quantum mechanics. The ground-state wavefunction of double semion model on a two-dimensional hexagonal lattice contains an intrinsic sign which cannot be removed by any local transformation. Here we proposed a generic double semion wavefunction in tensor network representation, and the wavefunction norm is mapped to the partition function of a triangular lattice Ashkin-Teller model with imaginary magnetic fields and imaginary three-spin triangular face interactions. To solve this non-Hermitian model with parity-time (PT) symme…
In the tensor network representation, a deformed $Z_{2}$ topological ground state wave function is proposed and its norm can be exactly mapped to the two-dimensional solvable Ashkin-Teller (AT) model. Then the topological (toric code) phase with anyonic excitations corresponds to the partial order phase of the AT model, and possible topological phase transitions are precisely determined. With the electric-magnetic self-duality, a novel gapless Coulomb state with quasi-long-range order is obtained via a quantum Kosterlitz-Thouless phase transition. The corresponding ground state is a condensate…
Competition between Neel, Haldane nematic, plaquette valence bond solid, and $(π,π)$ valence bond solid phases in SU(N) analogs of $S=1$ square-lattice antiferromagnets
We investigate the effect of quenched bond disorder on the two-dimensional three-color Ashkin-Teller model, which undergoes a first-order phase transition in the absence of impurities. This is one of the simplest and striking models in which quantitative numerical simulations can be carried out to investigate emergent criticality due to disorder rounding of first-order transition. Utilizing extensive cluster Monte Carlo simulations on large lattice sizes of up to $128 \times 128$ spins, each of which is represented by three colors taking values $\pm 1$, we show that the rounding of the first-o…
Strong-to-Weak Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking in a $(2+1)$D Transverse-Field Ising Model under Decoherence
Westlake University（西湖大学）；Westlake Institute for Advanced Study（西湖高等研究院）；Fudan University（复旦大学）；University of Tokyo（东京大学）；The Pennsylvania State University（宾夕法尼亚州立大学）
Phase diagrams of S=1/2 bilayer Models of SU(2) symmetric antiferromagnets
School of Physics and Astronomy, Beijing Normal University（北京师范大学物理学院）；Tata Institute for Fundamental Research（塔塔基础研究所）；Key Laboratory of Multiscale Spin Physics (Ministry of Education), Beijing Normal University（北京师范大学多尺度自旋物理教育部重点实验室）；Department of Physics, The Pennsylvania State University（宾夕法尼亚州立大学物理系）
