Critical properties of the quantum Ashkin-Teller chain with chiral perturbations

TL;DR

This paper studies phase transitions in the quantum Ashkin-Teller chain with chiral perturbations, identifying different transition regions and their properties, with implications for Rydberg atom experiments.

Contribution

It locates the Lifshitz line, distinguishes regions of direct and intermediate transitions, and finds a conformal transition region near the four-state Potts point.

Findings

Lifshitz line separates chiral and floating phase transitions.

A small region near the four-state Potts point has irrelevant chiral perturbations.

Transition remains conformal in the identified region.

Abstract

We investigate the nature of the phase transitions in the quantum Ashkin-Teller chain in the presence of chiral perturbations. We locate the Lifshitz line separating a region of direct chiral transitions from the region where the transition is through an intermediate floating phase. Furthermore, we identify a small region in the vicinity of the four-state Potts point where chiral perturbations are irrelevant and where the transition remains conformal. Implications to Rydberg atoms experiments are briefly discussed.