Work

Nucleation-type criticality with infinite number of free-energy minima beyond mean-field theory

Year: 2026

Type: preprint

Abstract: We study the phase diagram of a three-dimensional Heisenberg model with Dzyaloshinski--Moriya interaction under the presence of Potts-like anisotropy. The phase transition between the winding phase and the ferromagnetically ordered phase exhibits a critical phase transition with anomalous features such as critical exponents consistent with that of a first-order transition while maintaining continuity of physical quantities. Furthermore, at the critical point, we see a growing number of free energy local minima, supporting the picture of infinitely many discontinuous transitions forming criticality. Our numerical result unify de Gennes' theory of nucleation-type transitions and Dzyaloshinskii's calculation of chiral magnets by demonstrating that such anomalous criticality can be realized in microscopic models beyond mean-field.

Source: arXiv (Cornell University)

DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2610.26638

Authors: Takahashi, Jun, Nishikawa, Yoshihiko

Institutions: University of New Mexico, The Institute for Solid State Physics, The University of Tokyo, Tohoku University, Nagoya University

Language: English

Topic: Theoretical and Computational Physics

Subfield: Condensed Matter Physics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science

Awards: FRHTP: Center for Quantum Information and Control, Establishment of a Constructive Theory of Sampler Design via the Integration and Learning of MCMC and Particle-Based Sampling, Exploring Quantum Many-Body Physics with Semidefinite Optimization, Thermodynamic study of the glass transition in a lattice gas model

OpenAlex ID: W7223001910

Cites: 3

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Related to: 10