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Results for “Quantum Phase Transition”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 91 records · Page 5
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2016

Topological semimetal to insulator quantum phase transition in the Zintl compounds B a 2 X ( X = Si , Ge )

By first-principles calculations, we find that Ba 2 X (X = Si, Ge) hosts a topological semimetal phase with one nodal ring in the k x = 0 plane, which is protected by the glide mirror symmetry when spin-orbit coupling (SOC) is ignored. The corresponding drumheadlike surface flat band appears on the (100) surface in surface Green's function calculation. Furthermore, a topological-semimetal-to-insulator transition is found. The nodal line semimetal would evolve into a topological insulator as SOC is turned on. The topologically protected metallic surface states emerge around the Γ point, which could be tuned into the topologically trivial insulator state by more than 3% hydrostatic strain. These results reveal a category of materials showing quantum phase transition between topological semimetal and insulator, and tunability through elastic strain engineering.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Quantum phase transition and protected ideal transport in a Kondo chain

We study the low energy physics of a Kondo chain where electrons from a one-dimensional band interact with magnetic moments via an anisotropic exchange interaction. It is demonstrated that the anisotropy gives rise to two different phases which are separated by a quantum phase transition. In the phase with easy plane anisotropy, Z2 symmetry between sectors with different helicity of the electrons is broken. As a result, localization effects are suppressed and the dc transport acquires (partial) symmetry protection. This effect is similar to the protection of the edge transport in time-reversal invariant topological insulators. The phase with easy axis anisotropy corresponds to the Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid with a pronounced spin-charge separation. The slow charge density wave modes have no protection against localizatioin.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2022

Quantum phase transition from superconducting to insulating-like state in a pressurized cuprate superconductor

Copper oxide superconductors continue to fascinate the communities of condensed matter physics and material sciences because they host the highest ambient-pressure superconducting transition temperature and unconventional electronic behaviour that are not fully explained. Searching for universal links between the superconducting state and its normal metallic state is believed to be an effective approach to elucidate the underlying mechanism of superconductivity. One of the common expectations for copper oxide superconductors is that a metallic phase will appear after the superconductivity is entirely suppressed by chemical doping or the application of a magnetic field9. Here we report the first observation of a quantum phase transition from a superconducting state to an insulating-like state as a function of pressure in Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8+δ (Bi2212) superconductors with two CuO 2 planes in a unit cell for doping below, at and above a level that achieves the highest transition temperature. We also find the same phenomenon in related compounds with a single CuO 2 plane as well as three CuO 2 planes in a unit cell. This apparently universal phenomenon poses a challenge for achieving a unified understanding of the mechanism of high-temperature superconductivity.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2022

Field-tuned ferroquadrupolar quantum phase transition in the insulator TmVO 4

We report results of low-temperature heat-capacity, magnetocaloric-effect, and neutron-diffraction measurements of TmVO 4 , an insulator that undergoes a continuous ferroquadrupolar phase transition associated with local partially filled 4 f orbitals of the thulium (Tm 3 + ) ions. The ferroquadrupolar transition, a realization of Ising nematicity, can be tuned to a quantum critical point by using a magnetic field oriented along the c axis of the tetragonal crystal lattice, which acts as an effective transverse field for the Ising-nematic order. In small magnetic fields, the thermal phase transition can be well described by using a semiclassical mean-field treatment of the transverse-field Ising model. However, in higher magnetic fields, closer to the field-tuned quantum phase transition, subtle deviations from this semiclassical behavior are observed, which are consistent with expectations of quantum fluctuations. Although the phase transition is driven by the local 4 f degrees of freedom, the crystal lattice still plays a crucial role, both in terms of mediating the interactions between the local quadrupoles and in determining the critical scaling exponents, even though the phase transition itself can be described via mean field. In particular, bilinear coupling of the nematic order parameter to acoustic phonons changes the spatial and temporal fluctuations of the former in a fundamental way, resulting in different critical behavior of the nematic transverse-field Ising model, as compared to the usual case of the magnetic transverse-field Ising model. Our results establish TmVO 4 as a model material and electronic nematicity as a paradigmatic example for quantum criticality in insulators.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Semimetal–Mott insulator quantum phase transition of the Hubbard model on the honeycomb lattice

We take advantage of recent improvements in the grand canonical hybrid Monte Carlo algorithm, to perform a precision study of the single-particle gap in the hexagonal Hubbard model, with on-site electron-electron interactions. After carefully controlled analyses of the Trotter error, the thermodynamic limit, and finite-size scaling with inverse temperature, we find a critical coupling of U c /κ = 3.834(14) and the critical exponent zν = 1.185(43). Under the assumption that this corresponds to the expected antiferromagnetic Mott transition, we are also able to provide a preliminary estimate β = 1.095(37) for the critical exponent of the order parameter. We consider our findings in view of the SU(2) Gross-Neveu, or chiral Heisenberg, universality class. Here, we also discuss the computational scaling of the hybrid Monte Carlo algorithm, and possible extensions of our work to carbon nanotubes, fullerenes, and topological insulators.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2018

Quantum simulation of discrete curved spacetime by the Bose–Hubbard model: From analog acoustic black hole to quantum phase transition

We present a theoretical scheme to simulate quantum field theory in a discrete curved spacetime based on the Bose–Hubbard model describing a Bose–Einstein condensate trapped inside an optical lattice. Using the Bose–Hubbard Hamiltonian, we first introduce a hydrodynamic presentation of the system evolution in discrete space. We then show that the phase (density) fluctuations of the trapped bosons inside an optical lattice in the superfluid (Mott insulator) state obey the Klein–Gordon equation for a massless scalar field propagating in a discrete curved spacetime. We derive the effective metrics associated with the superfluid and Mott-insulator phases and, in particular, we find that in the superfluid phase the metric exhibits a singularity which can be considered as the manifestation of an analog acoustic black hole. The proposed approach is found to provide a suitable platform for quantum simulation of various spacetime metrics through adjusting the system parameters.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2017

Magnetic quantum phase transition in Cr-doped Bi 2 (Se x Te 1-x ) 3 driven by the Stark effect

The interplay between magnetism and topology, as exemplified in the magnetic skyrmion systems, has emerged as a rich playground for finding novel quantum phenomena and applications in future information technology. Magnetic topological insulators (TI) have attracted much recent attention, especially after the experimental realization of quantum anomalous Hall effect. Future applications of magnetic TI hinge on the accurate manipulation of magnetism and topology by external perturbations, preferably with a gate electric field. In this work, we investigate the magneto transport properties of Cr doped Bi 2 (Se x Te 1-x ) 3 TI across the topological quantum critical point (QCP). We find that the external gate voltage has negligible effect on the magnetic order for samples far away from the topological QCP. However, for the sample near the QCP, we observe a ferromagnetic (FM) to paramagnetic (PM) phase transition driven by the gate electric field. Theoretical calculations show that a perpendicular electric field causes a shift of electronic energy levels due to the Stark effect, which induces a topological quantum phase transition and consequently a magnetic phase transition. Finally, the in situ electrical control of the topological and magnetic properties of TI shed important new lights on future topological electronic or spintronic device applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Close Proximity to a Quantum Phase Transition in TmZn2⁢GaO5

TmZn2⁢GaO5 is a newly synthesized triangular lattice magnet that exhibits a unique quantum phase characterized by strong Ising anisotropy, a pseudodoublet crystal electric field ground state, and a low-energy gapped excitation at the 𝐾 point. Unlike its well-known counterparts, TmMgGa⁢O4 and YbMgGa⁢O4, this material crystallizes in a distinct hexagonal structure, leading to a platform for investigating frustrated magnetism. Magnetic susceptibility, heat capacity, and inelastic neutron scattering measurements confirm the absence of long-range magnetic order down to 50 mK, placing TmZn2⁢GaO5 in a distinct region of the transverse-field Ising model phase diagram. Theoretical calculations based on spin-wave theory and mean-field modeling reproduce key experimental observations, reinforcing the material’s placement in a quantum disordered or multipolar state near a quantum critical point that separates it from the low-energy phase of TmMgGa⁢O4. These results highlight its potential for exploring quantum disordered states, anisotropic excitations, and exotic quantum phases in frustrated spin systems.

Ennis, Matthew [Department of Physics, Duke Univer↗
DOE OSTI2021

Antiferromagnetic character of the quantum phase transition in the Hubbard model on the honeycomb lattice

In this work we provide a unified, comprehensive treatment of all operators that contribute to the antiferromagnetic, ferromagnetic, and charge-density-wave structure factors and order parameters of the hexagonal Hubbard Model. We use the Hybrid Monte Carlo algorithm to perform a systematic, carefully controlled analysis in the temporal Trotter error and of the thermodynamic limit. We expect our findings to improve the consistency of Monte Carlo determinations of critical exponents. We perform a data collapse analysis and determine the critical exponent β = 0.898 (37) for the semimetal-Mott insulator transition in the hexagonal Hubbard Model. Our methods are applicable to a wide range of lattice theories of strongly correlated electrons.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2019

Universal shift of the fidelity susceptibility peak away from the critical point of the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless quantum phase transition

We show that the peak which can be observed in fidelity susceptibility around the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless transition is shifted from the quantum critical point (QCP) at J c to J * in the gapped phase by a value | J *– J c | = B 2 /36, where B 2 is a transition width controlling the asymptotic form of the correlation length ξ~exp(– B /√| J – J c |) in that phase. This is in contrast to the conventional continuous QCP where the maximum is an indicator of the position of the critical point. The shape of the peak is universal, emphasizing the close connection between fidelity susceptibility and the correlation length. Here, we support those arguments with numerical matrix product state simulations of the one-dimensional Bose-Hubbard model in the thermodynamic limit, where the broad peak is located at J * = 0.212 that is significantly different from J c = 0.3048(3). In the spin-3/2 XXZ model the shift from J c = 1 to J * = 1.0021 is small but the narrow universal peak is much more pronounced over the nonuniversal background.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2017

Transverse fields to tune an Ising-nematic quantum phase transition

Significance Many interesting materials, including various high-temperature superconductors, exhibit a low-temperature “electron nematic” phase in which the electronic properties spontaneously break the rotational symmetry of the crystal. A nematic quantum critical point (QCP) marks the zero-temperature phase transition from a nematic ground state to a symmetric state as a function of a macroscopic nonthermal parameter. Here, we examine appropriate general means to tune Ising nematic systems to a QCP and in particular show that shear strain is a powerful tuning parameter. Moreover, we identify 4f ferroquadrupolar order as a realization of Ising nematic order and argue that it provides a promising platform for fundamental studies of metallic QCPs in the laboratory.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2022

Accurate localization of Kosterlitz-Thouless-type quantum phase transitions for one-dimensional spinless fermions

We investigate the charge-density wave (CDW) transition for one-dimensional spinless fermions at half band filling with nearest-neighbor electron transfer amplitude t and interaction V. The model is equivalent to the anisotropic XXZ Heisenberg model for which the Bethe Ansatz provides an exact solution. For V>V c =2t, the CDW order parameter and the single-particle gap are finite but exponentially small, as is characteristic for a Kosterlitz-Thouless transition. It is notoriously difficult to locate such infinite-order phase transitions in the phase diagram using approximate analytical and numerical approaches. Second-order Hartree-Fock theory is qualitatively applicable for all interaction strengths, and predicts the CDW transition to occur at V$^{(2)}_{c,2}$≈1.5t. Second-order Hartree Fock theory is almost variational because the density of quasiparticle excitations is small. We apply the density-matrix renormalization group (DMRG) for periodic boundary conditions for system sizes up to 514 sites, which permits a reliable extrapolation of all physical quantities to the thermodynamic limit, apart from the critical region. We investigate the ground-state energy, the gap, the order parameter, the momentum distribution, the quasiparticle density, and the density-density correlation function to locate V c from the DMRG data. In conclusion, tracing the breakdown of the Luttinger liquid and the peak in the quasiparticle density at the band edge permits us to reproduce V c with an accuracy of one percent.

1-dimensional spin chains↗
DOE OSTI2026

Chiral spin liquid and quantum phase transition in the triangular-lattice Hofstadter-Hubbard model

Recent advances in moiré engineering motivate the study of lattice models of strongly correlated electrons subjected to substantial orbital magnetic flux. We analyze the triangular-lattice Hofstadter-Hubbard model at one-quarter flux quantum per plaquette and a density of one electron per site, where a chiral spin liquid phase may exist between weak-coupling integer quantum Hall and strong-coupling 120° antiferromagnetic phases. Here, we use matrix product state methods and analytical arguments to investigate this model compactified to cylinders of finite circumference. We uncover a glide particle-hole symmetry operation which, we argue, is spontaneously broken at the quantum Hall to spin liquid transition on odd-circumference cylinders. We numerically verify the spontaneous symmetry breaking and further demonstrate that this transition is associated with algebraic long-range correlations of various spin-singlet, charge-neutral operators. For even-circumference cylinders, the transition becomes a crossover associated with a large correlation length that grows substantially with circumference. Our findings suggest that in the two-dimensional limit, the transition to a chiral spin liquid phase is continuous and features critical fluctuations of the current.

Divic, Stefan [University of Pennsylvania, Philade↗
DOE OSTI2019

Signatures of magnetic-field-driven quantum phase transitions in the entanglement entropy and spin dynamics of the Kitaev honeycomb model

The main question we address is how to probe the fractionalized excitations of a quantum spin liquid (QSL), for example, in the Kitaev honeycomb model. Here, by analyzing the energy spectrum and entanglement entropy, for antiferromagnetic couplings and a field along either [111] or [001], we find a gapless QSL phase sandwiched between the non-Abelian Kitaev QSL and polarized phases. Increasing the field strength towards the polarized limit destroys this intermediate QSL phase, resulting in a considerable reduction in the number of frequency modes and the emergence of a beating pattern in the local dynamical correlations, possibly observable in pump-probe experiments.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2020

Helical Edge States and Quantum Phase Transitions in Tetralayer Graphene

Helical conductors with spin-momentum locking are promising platforms for Majorana fermions. Here we report observation of two topologically distinct phases supporting helical edge states in charge neutral Bernal-stacked tetralayer graphene in Hall bar and Corbino geometries. As the magnetic field B ⊥ and out-of-plane displacement field D are varied, we observe a phase diagram consisting of an insulating phase and two metallic phases, with 0, 1, and 2 helical edge states, respectively. These phases are accounted for by a theoretical model that relates their conductance to spin-polarization plateaus. Transitions between them arise from a competition among interlayer hopping, electrostatic and exchange interaction energies. Finally, our work highlights the complex competing symmetries and the rich quantum phases in few-layer graphene.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗