SU(2)-Symmetric Spin-Boson Model: Quantum Criticality, Fixed-Point Annihilation, and Duality

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Abstract

The annihilation of two intermediate-coupling renormalization-group (RG) fixed points is of interest in diverse fields from statistical mechanics to high-energy physics, but has so far only been studied using perturbative techniques. Here we present high-accuracy quantum Monte Carlo results for the SU(2)-symmetric S=1/2 spin-boson (or Bose-Kondo) model. We study the model with a power-law bath spectrum ∝ωs where, in addition to a critical phase predicted by perturbative RG, a stable strong-coupling phase is present. Using a detailed scaling analysis, we provide direct numerical evidence for the collision and annihilation of two RG fixed points at s∗=0.6540(2), causing the critical phase to disappear for s<s∗. In particular, we uncover a surprising duality between the two fixed points, corresponding to a reflection symmetry of the RG beta function, which we utilize to make analytical predictions at strong coupling which are in excellent agreement with numerics. Our work makes phenomena of fixed-point annihilation accessible to large-scale simulations, and we comment on the consequences for impurity moments in critical magnets.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number186701
Number of pages6
JournalPhys. Rev. Lett.
Volume130(2023)
Issue number18
Publication statusPublished - 1 May 2023
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

Scopus 85158825450
WOS 000986445800004

Keywords

Research priority areas of TU Dresden

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Keywords

  • Phase-transitions, Impurity, 1st-order, Dynamics

Library keywords