Vortices and strings: Phase transition in anisotropic planar-rotor systems

Journal Article · Sat Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1986 · Phys. Rev. B: Condens. Matter; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.33.3419· OSTI ID:6093939

Tang, S; Mahanti, S D

We have investigated the phase transition of a two-dimensional system described by the Hamiltonian H = -J summation/sub NN/ cos(theta/sub i/-theta/sub j/)-K summationNN cos(theta/sub i/+theta/sub j/+phi/sub ij/), for J,K>0 and 0< or =K/J< or =1, and where NN denotes nearest neighbors, which has both Ising-like domain-wall (string) and XY-like vortex excitations. Migdal-Kadanoff and Monte Carlo renormalization-group studies indicate that there is only one transition which is Ising-like. The roles of string and vortex excitations in the phase transition are discussed by an energy-entropy argument and are found to be consistent with Monte Carlo quench results.

• Research Organization: Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
• OSTI ID: 6093939
• Journal Information: Phys. Rev. B: Condens. Matter; (United States), Journal Name: Phys. Rev. B: Condens. Matter; (United States) Vol. 33:5; ISSN PRBMD
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

657001* -- Theoretical Physics-- General &amp; Miscellaneous-- (-1987)
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ADSORPTION
CARBON
DISTANCE
DOMAIN STRUCTURE
ELEMENTAL MINERALS
ELEMENTS
FLUIDS
GASES
GRAPHITE
INTERACTION RANGE
INTERMOLECULAR FORCES
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MATHEMATICS
MINERALS
MONTE CARLO METHOD
NITROGEN
NONMETALS
ORDER-DISORDER TRANSFORMATIONS
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
SORPTION
SURFACES
TOPOLOGY
VORTICES