Properties of Phase transitions of a Higher Order

TL;DR

This paper provides a thermodynamic analysis of third and some fourth order phase transitions, deriving phase boundary equations and developing a field theory to study fluctuations and inhomogeneities in such transitions.

Contribution

It introduces a field theory framework for higher order phase transitions and derives phase boundary equations considering different gradient energy forms.

Findings

Derived phase boundary equations in H-T plane.

Constructed a field theory for third and fourth order transitions.

Analyzed thermal fluctuations and inhomogeneous order parameters.

Abstract

The following is a thermodynamic analysis of a III order (and some aspects of a IV order) phase transition. Such a transition can occur in a superconductor if the normal state is a diamagnet. The equation for a phase boundary in an H-T (H is the magnetic field, T, the temperature) plane is derived. by considering two possible forms of the gradient energy, it is possible to construct a field theory which describes a III or a IV order transition and permits a study of thermal fluctuations and inhomogeneous order parameters.