Simulation of Kosterlitz-Thouless (KT) Transition with Classical Monte-Carlo Simulation

TL;DR

This paper uses classical Monte-Carlo simulations to study the Kosterlitz-Thouless transition in 2D XY spin systems, emphasizing the roles of finite size and anisotropy in symmetry breaking and phase transition behavior.

Contribution

It demonstrates the impact of finite size and anisotropy on KT transition characteristics in 2D Heisenberg XY models through detailed simulation analysis.

Findings

Peak of heat capacity decreases with system size near transition temperature

Finite size effects induce anisotropic residual magnetic moments

Simulation confirms KT transition features distinct from other critical phenomena

Abstract

Spontaneous symmetry breaking of 2D isotropic Heisenberg magnet is restricted by Mermin-Wagner theorem at any finite temperature in presence of short-range exchange interaction.Kosterlitz and Thouless using XY spin model showed that how an order state could developed in 2D spin system in presence of short range isotropic interaction.Very recent discovery of several van der waals magnet revised and redefined our understanding on 2D Heisenberg magnet and its ground state properties.After a rigorous and careful study of several 2D magnetic material we have realized from both experimentally and numerically that the finite size of a 2D system has great impact on the ground state symmetry breaking.Because of that finite size effect more often an anisotropic residual magnetic moment is generated and trigger the spontaneous symmetry breaking at finite temperature(T) and even only presence of short-range interaction we observed the phase transition of that Heisenberg spin system.In this present work we have shown the basic role of finite size,anisotropy during the symmetry breaking of 2D Heisenberg XY magnet.Here we have simulated Kosterlitz-Thouless transition using classical Monte-carlo simulation and study the effect of anisotropy during the phase transition.We presented the behaviour of different thermodynamic properties of 2D XY spin model system during the Kosterlitz-Thouless(KT) transition.The generic characteristic of KT transition which make it distinct from other critical phenomena is that the peak of heat capacity is not diverging with increase of system size rather peak is decreasing with the increasing of system size near at transition temperature.Here we are observing that behaviour in our present simulation and that specific behaviour help us for classifying the present transition as Kosterlitz-Thouless(KT) transition.