Complete universal scaling of first-order phase transitions in the two-dimensional Ising model

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates universal scaling behavior in first-order phase transitions of the two-dimensional Ising model, bridging microscopic models with mesoscopic theories and expanding understanding of phase transition universality.

Contribution

It provides the first clear evidence of universal scaling in microscopic FOPTs, applying Landau-Ginzburg theory to the Ising model and confirming its broader applicability.

Findings

Universal scaling behavior observed in the Ising model's FOPTs.

Application of mesoscopic Landau-Ginzburg theory to microscopic systems.

Potential for experimental verification of FOPT universality.

Abstract

Phase transitions, as one of the most intriguing phenomena in nature, are divided into first-order phase transitions (FOPTs) and continuous ones in current classification. While the latter shows striking phenomena of scaling and universality, the former has recently also been demonstrated to exhibit scaling and universal behavior within a mesoscopic, coarse-grained Landau-Ginzburg theory. Here we apply this theory to a microscopic model -- the paradigmatic Ising model, which undergoes FOPTs between two ordered phases below its critical temperature -- and unambiguously demonstrate universal scaling behavior in such FOPTs. These results open the door for extending the theory to other microscopic FOPT systems and experimentally testing them to systematically uncover their scaling and universal behavior.