Spherical model and quantum phase transitions

The spherical Berlin-Katz model is considered in the framework of the epsilon expansion in one-dimensional and two-dimensional space. For the two-dimensional and threedimensional cases in this model, an exact solution was previously obtained in the presence of a field, and for the two-dimensional case the critical temperature is zero, that is, a “quantum” phase transition is observed. On the other hand, the epsilon expansion of critical exponents with an arbitrary number of order parameter components is known. This approach is consistent with the scaling paradigm. Some critical exponents are found for the spherical model in one-and twodimensional space in accordance with the generalized scaling paradigm and the ideas of quantum phase transitions. A new formula is proposed for the critical heat capacity exponent, which depends on the dynamic index z, at a critical temperature equal to zero. An expression is proposed for the order of phase transition with a change in temperature (developing the approach of R. Baxter), which also depends on the z index. An interpolation formula is presented for the effective dimension of space, which is valid for both a positive critical temperature and a critical temperature equal to zero. This formula is general. Transitions with a change in the field in a spherical model at absolute zero are also considered.

Continued functions and perturbation series: Simple tools for convergence of diverging series in $O(n)$-symmetric $\phi^4$ field theory at weak coupling limit

We determine universal critical exponents that describe the continuous phase transitions in different dimensions of space. We use continued functions without any external unknown parameters to obtain analytic continuation for the recently derived 7-loop $\epsilon$ expansion from $O(n)$-symmetric $\phi^4$ field theory. Employing a new blended continued function, we obtain critical exponent $\alpha=-0.01211$ for the phase transition of superfluid helium which matches closely with the most accurate experimental value. This result addresses the long-standing discrepancy between the theoretical predictions and precise experimental result of $O(2)$ $\phi^4$ model known as "$\lambda$-point specific heat experimental anomaly". Further we have also examined the applicability of such continued functions in other examples of field theories.

CFT in AdS and boundary RG flows

Using the fact that flat space with a boundary is related by a Weyl transformation to anti-de Sitter (AdS) space, one may study observables in boundary conformal field theory (BCFT) by placing a CFT in AdS. In addition to correlation functions of local operators, a quantity of interest is the free energy of the CFT computed on the AdS space with hyperbolic ball metric, i.e. with a spherical boundary. It is natural to expect that the AdS free energy can be used to define a quantity that decreases under boundary renormalization group flows. We test this idea by discussing in detail the case of the large N critical O(N) model in general dimension d, as well as its perturbative descriptions in the epsilon-expansion. Using the AdS approach, we recover the various known boundary critical behaviors of the model, and we compute the free energy for each boundary fixed point, finding results which are consistent with the conjectured F-theorem in a continuous range of dimensions. Finally, we also use the AdS setup to compute correlation functions and extract some of the BCFT data. In particular, we show that using the bulk equations of motion, in conjunction with crossing symmetry, gives an efficient way to constrain bulk two-point functions and extract anomalous dimensions of boundary operators.

Critical phenomena: The field theory approach

Chapter 6 describes how the perturbative renormalization group (RG) of quantum field theory has made it possible to derive universal properties of continuous macroscopic phase transitions. The RG initially emerged as a consequence of the necessity to cancel infinities that appear in the perturbative expansion (the renormalization procedure) and the possibility of defining the parameters of the renormalized theory at different momentum scales. Although the field theory RG is now understood to be an asymptotic form, it has made it possible to confirm the Wilson–Fisher fixed point and led to an understanding of universality for a large class of critical phenomena. In the framework of dimensional continuation, zeros of RG beta functions, which correspond to Wilson–Fisher’s fixed points, have made it possible to recover Wilson–Fisher’s epsilon expansion, proving scaling relations and calculating critical exponents. Series summation methods have then been used to generate precise values of exponents.

Infrared Yang–Mills theory: A renormalization group perspective

We describe a technically very simple analytical approach to the deep infrared regime of Yang–Mills theory in the Landau gauge via Callan–Symanzik renormalization group equations in an epsilon expansion. This approach recovers all the solutions for the infrared gluon and ghost propagators previously found by solving the Dyson–Schwinger equations of the theory and singles out the solution with decoupling behavior, confirmed by lattice calculations, as the only one corresponding to an infrared attractive fixed point (for space-time dimensions above two). For the case of four dimensions, we describe the crossover of the system from the ultraviolet to the infrared fixed point and determine the complete momentum dependence of the propagators. The results for different renormalization schemes are compared to the lattice data.