Quantum first order phase transitions

TL;DR

This paper extends the scaling theory of critical phenomena to quantum first order transitions, illustrating its application with superconductors and spin chains, and discusses disorder effects.

Contribution

It introduces a scaling approach to quantum first order transitions and applies it to specific physical systems, providing new insights into their behavior.

Findings

Quantum first order transitions exhibit latent energy.

Disorder effects can be relevant in these transitions.

Scaling ideas can be applied to quantum phase transitions.

Abstract

The scaling theory of critical phenomena has been successfully extended for classical first order transitions even though the correlation length does not diverge in these transitions. In this paper we apply the scaling ideas to quantum first order transitions. The usefulness of this approach is illustrated treating the problems of a superconductor coupled to a gauge field and of a biquadratic Heisenberg chain, at zero temperature. In both cases there is a latent energy associated with their discontinuous quantum transitions. We discuss the effects of disorder and give a general criterion for it's relevance in these transitions.