Partial Order and Finite-Temperature Phase Transitions in Potts Models on Irregular Lattices

Q. N. Chen, M. P. Qin, J. Chen, Z. C. Wei, H. H. Zhao, B. Normand, and T. Xiang

Phys. Rev. Lett. 107, 165701 – Published 12 October 2011

Abstract

We evaluate the thermodynamic properties of the 4-state antiferromagnetic Potts model on the Union-Jack lattice using tensor-based numerical methods. We present strong evidence for a previously unknown, “entropy-driven,” finite-temperature phase transition to a partially ordered state. From the thermodynamics of Potts models on the diced and centered diced lattices, we propose that finite-temperature transitions and partially ordered states are ubiquitous on irregular lattices.

Received 25 May 2011

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.107.165701

Authors & Affiliations

Q. N. Chen¹, M. P. Qin², J. Chen², Z. C. Wei², H. H. Zhao², B. Normand³, and T. Xiang^1,2

¹Institute of Theoretical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 2735, Beijing 100190, China
²Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 603, Beijing 100190, China
³Department of Physics, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China