Quantum Critical Behavior in Gauged Yukawa Matrix Field Theories with Quenched Disorder

TL;DR

This paper investigates quantum critical behavior in gauged Yukawa matrix field theories with quenched disorder, revealing that disorder does not alter the universality class and highlighting conditions for first or second order phase transitions.

Contribution

It applies the Wilson-Fisher epsilon expansion to analyze the effects of quenched disorder on quantum criticality in gauged Yukawa theories, showing the persistence of pure system universality classes.

Findings

Quantum critical behavior remains in the pure system universality class.

Phase transition is typically first order, with exceptions for certain parameters.

Provides insights into disorder effects in two-dimensional quantum antiferromagnets.

Abstract

We use the Wilson-Fisher $\epsilon$ expansion to study quantum critical behavior in gauged Yukawa matrix field theories with weak quenched disorder. We find that the resulting quantum critical behavior is in the universality class of the pure system. As in the pure system, the phase transition is typically first order, except for a limited range of parameters where it can be second order with computable critical exponents. Our results apply to the study of two-dimensional quantum antiferromagnets with weak quenched disorder and provide an example for fluctuation-induced first order phase transitions in circumstances where naively none is expected.