Solution of the random field $XY$ magnet on a fully connected graph

TL;DR

This paper analyzes the XY model with random fields on a fully connected graph using large deviation theory, revealing phase diagrams with continuous and first-order transitions influenced by the distribution symmetry of the disorder.

Contribution

It provides an exact solution for the free energy and phase diagram of the XY model with random fields, highlighting the impact of distribution symmetry on multicritical points.

Findings

Disorder-averaged ground state energy is exactly computed.

The phase diagram features a multicritical point separating different transition types.

The specific heat approaches a constant at zero temperature.

Abstract

We use large deviation theory to obtain the free energy of the XY model on a fully connected graph on each site of which there is a randomly oriented field of magnitude $h$. The phase diagram is obtained for two symmetric distributions of the random orientations: (a) a uniform distribution and (b) a distribution with cubic symmetry. In both cases, the disorder-averaged ordered state reflects the symmetry of the underlying distribution. The phase boundary has a multicritical point which separates a locus of continuous transitions (for small values of $h$) from a locus of first order transitions (for large $h$). The free energy is a function of a single variable in case (a) and a function of two variables in case (b), leading to different characters of the multicritical points in the two cases. We find that the locus of continuous transitions is given by the same equation for a family of quadriperiodic distributions, which includes the distributions (a) and (b). However, the location of the multicritical point and the nature of ordered state depend on the form of the distribution. The disorder-averaged ground state energy is found exactly, and the specific heat is shown to approach a constant as temperature approaches zero.