Continuous quantum phase transitions in the one-dimensional spin-1/2 axial next-nearest-neighbour Ising model in two orthogonal magnetic fields

Abstract

We have investigated the one-dimensional spin-1/2 axial next-nearest-neighbour Ising (ANNNI) model in two orthogonal magnetic fields at zero temperature. There are four different possible ground state configurations for the ANNNI model in a longitudinal field, in the thermodynamic limit. The inclusion of a transverse field introduces quantum fluctuations which destroy the existing spin order along certain critical lines. The effects of the fluctuations in three of the four ordered regions were investigated using the finite-size scaling technique. The phase boundaries of the ANNNI model in two orthogonal magnetic fields were thus determined numerically. For certain limits of the Hamiltonian we compared the obtained results with the existing literature and our results were in good agreement with the results in the existing literature.