Chiral and Spin Order in the 2D \pm J Xy Spin Glass : Domain Wall Scaling Analysis

TL;DR

This paper analytically investigates the 2D ±J XY spin glass, revealing that chiral and spin orderings share the same correlation length exponent as temperature approaches zero, challenging previous Monte Carlo simulation interpretations.

Contribution

It provides an analytical scaling analysis of domain wall energies in the 2D XY spin glass, elucidating the relationship between chiral and spin orderings and their correlation lengths.

Findings

Chiral and spin correlation lengths diverge with the same exponent as T→0.

Domain wall energies scale nontrivially with system size.

Results contrast with Monte Carlo simulation interpretations.

Abstract

This is an analytic study of the two-dimensional XY spin glass with $\pm J$ disorder. The Hamiltonian has a continuous spin symmetry and a discrete chiral symmetry, and therefore possesses, potentially, two different order parameters and correlation lengths. The cost of breaking the symmetries is probed by comparing the ground state energy under periodic (P) boundary conditions with the one under antiperiodic (AP) and under reflecting (R) boundary conditions. Two energy differences (``domain wall energies'') appear, $\Delta E^{AP}$ and $\Delta E^R$, whose scaling behavior with system size is nontrivially related to the correlation length exponents. For a specific distribution of the $\pm J$ disorder we show that the chiral and spin correlation lengths diverge with the same exponent as $T\downarrow 0$. The common exponent has a common cause, viz. the low reversal energy of domains of chiral variables. For general disorder we give a heuristic argumentation in terms of droplet excitations that leads to spin ordering on a longer, or equal, scale than chiral ordering. These results are in contrast with interpretations of Monte Carlo simulations.