Monte Carlo Simulation of First Order Phase Transitions

Abstract

Monte Carlo simulation with Metropolis algorithm has been performed on a cubic Ising lattice with four-spin couplings. Temperature dependence of the spin average and average energy has been obtained. We found that the phase transition is of first order when the strength of four-spin coupling is stronger a critical value, and this critical value is of lattice size dependence. Binder cumulants still can be used to determine the second order phase transition temperature. For first order phase transition, the spin average disappears abruptly at the temperature of the average energy being a third of the ground state energy.