Quantum critical effects in mean-field glassy systems

TL;DR

This paper investigates how quantum fluctuations influence the nature of phase transitions in mean-field quantum spin-glass models, revealing that certain discontinuous classical transitions become continuous at zero temperature due to quantum effects.

Contribution

It demonstrates that quantum fluctuations can change the order of phase transitions in mean-field spin-glass models, especially turning discontinuous transitions into continuous ones at zero temperature.

Findings

Quantum fluctuations modify the phase transition nature.

Discontinuous classical transitions become continuous at zero temperature.

Analysis uses the static approximation in models like the random orthogonal model.

Abstract

We consider the effects of quantum fluctuations in mean-field quantum spin-glass models with pairwise interactions. We examine the nature of the quantum glass transition at zero temperature in a transverse field. In models (such as the random orthogonal model) where the classical phase transition is discontinuous an analysis using the static approximation reveals that the transition becomes continuous at zero temperature.