First Order Phase Transition and Phase Coexistence in a Spin-Glass Model

TL;DR

This paper analyzes a spin-glass model with quenched disorder, revealing a phase transition that can be either second order or first order with phase coexistence, depending on temperature and density.

Contribution

It provides a mean-field analysis of the Blume-Emery-Griffiths-Capel model, identifying conditions for first and second order phase transitions and phase coexistence.

Findings

Discovered a tricritical point where transition order changes

Identified phase coexistence during first order transitions

Mapped the phase diagram with paramagnetic and spin-glass phases

Abstract

We study the mean-field static solution of the Blume-Emery-Griffiths-Capel model with quenched disorder, an Ising-spin lattice gas with quenched random magnetic interaction. The thermodynamics is worked out in the Full Replica Symmetry Breaking scheme. The model exhibits a high temperature/low density paramagnetic phase. When the temperature is decreased or the density increased, the system undergoes a phase transition to a Full Replica Symmetry Breaking spin-glass phase. The nature of the transition can be either of the second order (like in the Sherrington-Kirkpatrick model) or, at temperature below a given critical value (tricritical point), of the first order in the Ehrenfest sense, with a discontinuous jump of the order parameter and a latent heat. In this last case coexistence of phases occurs.