Observation of nonscalar and logarithmic correlations in two- and three-dimensional percolation.

In bulk percolation, we exhibit operators that insert N clusters with any given symmetry under the symmetric group S_{N}. At the critical threshold, this leads to predictions that certain combinations of two-point correlation functions depend logarithmically on distance, without the usual power law. The behavior under rotations of certain amplitudes of correlators is also determined exactly. All these results hold in any dimension, 2≤d≤6. Moreover, in d=2 the critical exponents and universal logarithmic prefactors are obtained exactly. We test these predictions against extensive simulations of critical bond percolation in d=2 and 3, for all correlators up to N=4 (d=2) and N=3 (d=3), finding excellent agreement. In d=3 we further obtain precise numerical estimates for critical exponents and logarithmic prefactors.

Duality and the universality class of the three-state Potts antiferromagnet on plane quadrangulations.

We provide a criterion based on graph duality to predict whether the three-state Potts antiferromagnet on a plane quadrangulation has a zero- or finite-temperature critical point, and its universality class. The former case occurs for quadrangulations of self-dual type, and the zero-temperature critical point has central charge c=1. The latter case occurs for quadrangulations of non-self-dual type, and the critical point belongs to the universality class of the three-state Potts ferromagnet. We have tested this criterion against high-precision computations on four lattices of each type, with very good agreement. We have also found that the Wang-Swendsen-Kotecký algorithm has no critical slowing-down in the former case, and critical slowing-down in the latter.

Entanglement in Nonunitary Quantum Critical Spin Chains.

Entanglement entropy has proven invaluable to our understanding of quantum criticality. It is natural to try to extend the concept to "nonunitary quantum mechanics," which has seen growing interest from areas as diverse as open quantum systems, noninteracting electronic disordered systems, or nonunitary conformal field theory (CFT). We propose and investigate such an extension here, by focusing on the case of one-dimensional quantum group symmetric or supergroup symmetric spin chains. We show that the consideration of left and right eigenstates combined with appropriate definitions of the trace leads to a natural definition of Rényi entropies in a large variety of models. We interpret this definition geometrically in terms of related loop models and calculate the corresponding scaling in the conformal case. This allows us to distinguish the role of the central charge and effective central charge in rational minimal models of CFT, and to define an effective central charge in other, less well-understood cases. The example of the sl(2|1) alternating spin chain for percolation is discussed in detail.

Three-Point Functions in c≤1 Liouville Theory and Conformal Loop Ensembles.

The possibility of extending the Liouville conformal field theory from values of the central charge c≥25 to c≤1 has been debated for many years in condensed matter physics as well as in string theory. It was only recently proven that such an extension-involving a real spectrum of critical exponents as well as an analytic continuation of the Dorn-Otto-Zamolodchikov-Zamolodchikov formula for three-point couplings-does give rise to a consistent theory. We show in this Letter that this theory can be interpreted in terms of microscopic loop models. We introduce in particular a family of geometrical operators, and, using an efficient algorithm to compute three-point functions from the lattice, we show that their operator algebra corresponds exactly to that of vertex operators V_{α[over ^]} in c≤1 Liouville theory. We interpret geometrically the limit α[over ^]→0 of V_{α[over ^]} and explain why it is not the identity operator (despite having conformal weight Δ=0).

Recursive percolation.

We introduce a simple lattice model in which percolation is constructed on top of critical percolation clusters, and find compelling numerical evidence that it can be repeated recursively any number n of generations. In two dimensions, we determine the percolation thresholds up to n=5. The corresponding critical clusters become more and more compact as n increases, and define universal scaling functions of the standard two-dimensional form and critical exponents that are distinct for any n. This family of exponents differs from previously known universality classes, and cannot be accommodated by existing analytical methods. We confirm that recursive percolation is well defined also in three dimensions.

Universal entanglement crossover of coupled quantum wires.

We consider the entanglement between two one-dimensional quantum wires (Luttinger liquids) coupled by tunneling through a quantum impurity. The physics of the system involves a crossover between weak and strong coupling regimes characterized by an energy scale TB, and methods of conformal field theory therefore cannot be applied. The evolution of the entanglement in this crossover has led to many numerical studies, but has remained little understood, analytically or even qualitatively. We argue in this Letter that the correct universal scaling form of the entanglement entropy S (for an arbitrary interval of length L containing the impurity) is ∂S/∂ ln L=f(LTB). In the special case where the coupling to the impurity can be refermionized, we show how the universal function f(LTB) can be obtained analytically using recent results on form factors of twist fields and a defect massless-scattering formalism. Our results are carefully checked against numerical simulations.

Two-dimensional Potts antiferromagnets with a phase transition at arbitrarily large q.

We exhibit infinite families of two-dimensional lattices (some of which are triangulations or quadrangulations of the plane) on which the q-state Potts antiferromagnet has a finite-temperature phase transition at arbitrarily large values of q. This unexpected result is proven rigorously by using a Peierls argument to measure the entropic advantage of sublattice long-range order. Additional numerical data are obtained using transfer matrices, Monte Carlo simulation, and a high-precision graph-theoretic method.

Puzzle of bulk conformal field theories at central charge c = 0.

Nontrivial critical models in 2D with a central charge c=0 are described by logarithmic conformal field theories (LCFTs), and exhibit, in particular, mixing of the stress-energy tensor with a "logarithmic" partner under a conformal transformation. This mixing is quantified by a parameter (usually denoted b), introduced in Gurarie [Nucl. Phys. B546, 765 (1999)]. The value of b has been determined over the last few years for the boundary versions of these models: b(perco)=-5/8 for percolation and b(poly)=5/6 for dilute polymers. Meanwhile, the existence and value of b for the bulk theory has remained an open problem. Using lattice regularization techniques we provide here an "experimental study" of this question. We show that, while the chiral stress tensor has indeed a single logarithmic partner in the chiral sector of the theory, the value of b is not the expected one; instead, b=-5 for both theories. We suggest a theoretical explanation of this result using operator product expansions and Coulomb gas arguments, and discuss the physical consequences on correlation functions. Our results imply that the relation between bulk LCFTs of physical interest and their boundary counterparts is considerably more involved than in the nonlogarithmic case.

Integrable spin chain for the SL(2,R)/U(1) black hole sigma model.

We introduce a spin chain based on finite-dimensional spin-1/2 SU(2) representations but with a non-Hermitian "Hamiltonian" and show, using mostly analytical techniques, that it is described at low energies by the SL(2,R)/U(1) Euclidian black hole conformal field theory. This identification goes beyond the appearance of a noncompact spectrum; we are also able to determine the density of states, and show that it agrees with the formulas in [J. Maldacena, H. Ooguri, and J. Son, J. Math. Phys. (N.Y.) 42, 2961 (2001)] and [A. Hanany, N. Prezas, and J. Troost, J. High Energy Phys. 04 (2002) 014], hence providing a direct "physical measurement" of the associated reflection amplitude.

Finite-temperature phase transition in a class of four-state Potts antiferromagnets.

We argue that the four-state Potts antiferromagnet has a finite-temperature phase transition on any Eulerian plane triangulation in which one sublattice consists of vertices of degree 4. We furthermore predict the universality class of this transition. We then present transfer-matrix and Monte Carlo data confirming these predictions for the cases of the Union Jack and bisected hexagonal lattices.

Demixing of compact polymers chains in three dimensions.

We present a Monte Carlo algorithm that provides efficient and unbiased sampling of polymer melts consisting of two chains of equal length that jointly visit all the sites of a cubic lattice with rod geometry L × L × rL and nonperiodic (hard wall) boundary conditions. Using this algorithm for chains of length up to 40,000 monomers and aspect ratios 1 ≤ r ≤ 10 , we show that in the limit of a large lattice the two chains phase separate. This demixing phenomenon is present already for r=1 and becomes more pronounced, albeit not perfect, as r is increased.

Exact solution of the anisotropic special transition in the O(n) model in two dimensions.

The effect of surface exchange anisotropies is known to play an important role in magnetic critical and multicritical behavior at surfaces. We give an exact analysis of this problem in d=2 for the O(n) model using the Coulomb gas, conformal invariance, and integrability techniques. We obtain the full set of critical exponents at the anisotropic special transition-where the symmetry on the boundary is broken down to O(n1)xO(n-n1)--as a function of n1. We also obtain the full phase diagram and crossover exponents. Crucial in this analysis is a new solution of the boundary Yang-Baxter equations for loop models. The appearance of the generalization of Schramm-Loewner evolution SLE(kappa,rho) is also discussed.

Semiflexible fully packed loop model and interacting rhombus tilings.

Motivated by a recent adsorption experiment [M. O. Blunt, Science 322, 1077 (2008)10.1126/science.1163338], we study tilings of the plane with three different types of rhombi. An interaction disfavors pairs of adjacent rhombi of the same type. This is shown to be a special case of a model of fully packed loops with interactions between monomers at distance two along a loop. We solve this model using Coulomb gas techniques and show that its critical exponents vary continuously with the interaction strength. At low temperature it undergoes a Kosterlitz-Thouless transition to an ordered phase, which is predicted from numerics to occur at a temperature T approximately 110 K in the experiments.

Unbiased sampling of globular lattice proteins in three dimensions.

We present a Monte Carlo method that allows efficient and unbiased sampling of Hamiltonian walks on a cubic lattice. Such walks are self-avoiding and visit each lattice site exactly once. They are often used as simple models of globular proteins, upon adding suitable local interactions. Our algorithm can easily be equipped with such interactions, but we study here mainly the flexible homopolymer case where each conformation is generated with uniform probability. We argue that the algorithm is ergodic and has dynamical exponent z=0. We then use it to study polymers of size up to 64(3)=262 144 monomers. Results are presented for the effective interaction between end points, and the interaction with the boundaries of the system.

Classical dimers with aligning interactions on the square lattice.

We present a detailed study of a model of close-packed dimers on the square lattice with an interaction between nearest-neighbor dimers. The interaction favors parallel alignment of dimers, resulting in a low-temperature crystalline phase. With large-scale Monte Carlo and transfer matrix calculations, we show that the crystal melts through a Kosterlitz-Thouless phase transition to give rise to a high-temperature critical phase, with algebraic decays of correlations functions with exponents that vary continuously with the temperature. We give a theoretical interpretation of these results by mapping the model to a Coulomb gas, whose coupling constant and associated exponents are calculated numerically with high precision. Introducing monomers is a marginal perturbation at the Kosterlitz-Thouless transition and gives rise to another critical line. We study this line numerically, showing that it is in the Ashkin-Teller universality class, and terminates in a tricritical point at finite temperature and monomer fugacity. In the course of this work, we also derive analytic results relevant to the noninteracting case of dimer coverings, including a Bethe ansatz (at the free fermion point) analysis, a detailed discussion of the effective height model, and a free field analysis of height fluctuations.

Unconventional continuous phase transition in a three-dimensional dimer model.

Phase transitions occupy a central role in physics, due both to their experimental ubiquity and their fundamental conceptual importance. The explanation of universality at phase transitions was the great success of the theory formulated by Ginzburg and Landau, and extended through the renormalization group by Wilson. However, recent theoretical suggestions have challenged this point of view in certain situations. In this Letter we report the first large-scale simulations of a three-dimensional model proposed to be a candidate for requiring a description beyond the Landau-Ginzburg-Wilson framework: we study the phase transition from the dimer crystal to the Coulomb phase in the cubic dimer model. Our numerical results strongly indicate that the transition is continuous and is compatible with a tricritical universality class, at variance with previous proposals.

Interacting classical dimers on the square lattice.

We study a model of close-packed dimers on the square lattice with a nearest neighbor interaction between parallel dimers. This model corresponds to the classical limit of quantum dimer models [D. S. Rokhsar and S. A. Kivelson, Phys. Rev. Lett. 61, 2376 (1988)]. By means of Monte Carlo and transfer matrix calculations, we show that this system undergoes a Kosterlitz-Thouless transition separating a low temperature ordered phase where dimers are aligned in columns from a high temperature critical phase with continuously varying exponents. This is understood by constructing the corresponding Coulomb gas, whose coupling constant is computed numerically. We also discuss doped models and implications on the finite-temperature phase diagram of quantum dimer models.

Fermionic field theory for trees and forests.

We prove a generalization of Kirchhoff's matrix-tree theorem in which a large class of combinatorial objects are represented by non-Gaussian Grassmann integrals. As a special case, we show that unrooted spanning forests, which arise as a q-->0 limit of the Potts model, can be represented by a Grassmann theory involving a Gaussian term and a particular bilocal four-fermion term. We show that this latter model can be mapped, to all orders in perturbation theory, onto the N-vector model at N=-1 or, equivalently, onto the sigma model taking values in the unit supersphere in R(1|2). It follows that, in two dimensions, this fermionic model is perturbatively asymptotically free.

Conformal field theory of the Flory model of polymer melting.

We study the scaling limit of a fully packed loop model in two dimensions, where the loops are endowed with a bending rigidity. The scaling limit is described by a three-parameter family of conformal field theories, which we characterize via its Coulomb-gas representation. One choice for two of the three parameters reproduces the critical line of the exactly solvable six-vertex model, while another corresponds to the Flory model of polymer melting. Exact central charge and critical exponents are calculated for polymer melting in two dimensions. Contrary to predictions from mean-field theory we show that polymer melting, as described by the Flory model, is continuous. We test our field theoretical results against numerical transfer matrix calculations.

Continuous melting of compact polymers.

The competition between chain entropy and bending rigidity in compact polymers can be addressed within a lattice model introduced by Flory in 1956 [Proc. R. Soc. London A 234, 60 (1956)]]. It exhibits a transition between an entropy dominated disordered phase and an energetically favored crystalline phase. The nature of this order-disorder transition has been debated ever since the introduction of the model. Here we present exact results for the Flory model in two dimensions relevant for polymers on surfaces, such as DNA adsorbed on a lipid bilayer. We predict a continuous melting transition and compute exact values of critical exponents at the transition point.