Mean-field Exponents Research Articles

Accuracy of discrete- and continuous-time mean-field theories for epidemic processes on complex networks.

Discrete- and continuous-time approaches are frequently used to model the role of heterogeneity on dynamical interacting agents on the top of complex networks. While, on the one hand, one does not expect drastic differences between these approaches, and the choice is usually based on one's expertise or methodological convenience, on the other hand, a detailed analysis of the differences is necessary to guide the proper choice of one or another approach. We tackle this problem by investigating both discrete- and continuous-time mean-field theories for the susceptible-infected-susceptible (SIS) epidemic model on random networks with power-law degree distributions. We compare the discrete epidemic link equations(ELE) and continuous pair quenched mean-field (PQMF) theories with the corresponding stochastic simulations, both theories that reckon pairwise interactions explicitly. We show that ELE converges to the PQMF theory when the time step goes to zero. We performed an epidemic localization analysis considering the inverse participation ratio (IPR). Both theories present the same localization dependence on network degree exponent γ: for γ<5/2 the epidemics are localized on the maximum k-core of networks with a vanishing IPR in the infinite-size limit while, for γ>5/2, the localization happens on hubs that do not form a densely connected set and leads to a finite value of the IPR. However, the IPR and epidemic threshold of ELE depend on the time-step discretization such that a larger time step leads to more localized epidemics. A remarkable difference between discrete- and continuous-time approaches is revealed in the epidemic prevalence near the epidemic threshold, in which the discrete-time stochastic simulations indicate a mean-field critical exponent θ=1 instead of the value θ=1/(3-γ) obtained rigorously and verified numerically for the continuous-time SIS on the same networks.

Topology-dependent coalescence controls scaling exponents in finite networks

Studies of neural avalanches across different data modalities led to the prominent hypothesis that the brain operates near a critical point. The observed exponents often indicate the mean-field directed-percolation universality class, leading to the fully connected or random network models to study the avalanche dynamics. However, cortical networks have distinct nonrandom features and spatial organization that is known to affect critical exponents. Here we show that distinct empirical exponents arise in networks with different topology and depend on the network size. In particular, we find apparent scale-free behavior with mean-field exponents appearing as quasicritical dynamics in structured networks. This quasicritical dynamics cannot be easily discriminated from an actual critical point in small networks. We find that the local coalescence in activity dynamics can explain the distinct exponents. Therefore, both topology and system size should be considered when assessing criticality from empirical observables. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Theory of critical phenomena with long-range temporal interaction

We systematically develop theories of critical phenomena with a prior formed memory of a power-law decaying long-range temporal interaction parameterized by a constant θ > 0 for a space dimension d both below and above an upper critical dimension d c = 6 − 2/θ. We first provide more evidences to confirm the previous theory that a dimensional constant is demanded to rectify a hyperscaling law, to produce correct unique mean-field critical exponents via an effective spatial dimension originating from temporal dimension, and to transform the time and change the dynamic critical exponent. Next, for d < d c , we develop a renormalization-group theory by employing the momentum-shell technique to the leading nontrivial order explicitly and to higher orders formally in ϵ = d c − d but to zero order in ε = 1 − θ and find that more scaling laws besides the hyperscaling law are broken due to the breaking of the fluctuation-dissipation theorem. Moreover, because dynamics and statics are intimately interwoven, even the static critical exponents involve contributions from the dynamics and hence do not restore the short-range exponents even for θ = 1 and the crossover between the short-range and long-range fixed points is discontinuous contrary to the case of long-range spatial interaction. In addition, a new scaling law relating the dynamic critical exponent with the static ones emerges, indicating that the dynamic critical exponent is not independent. However, once is displaced by a series of ϵ and ε such that most values of the critical exponents are changed, all scaling laws are saved again, even though the fluctuation-dissipation theorem keeps violating. Then, for d ≥ d c , we develop an effective-dimension theory by carefully discriminating the corrections of both temporal and spatial dimensions and find three different regions. For d ≥ d c0 = 4, the upper critical dimension of the usual short-range theory, the usual Landau mean-field theory with fluctuations confined to the effective-dimension equal to d c0 correctly describe the critical phenomena with memory, while for d c < d ≤ 4, there exist new universality classes whose critical exponents depend only on the space dimension but not at all on θ. Yet another region consists of d = d c only and the previous theory is retrieved. All these results show that the dimensional constant is the fundamental ingredient of the theories for critical phenomena with memory. However, its value continuously varies with the space dimension and vanishes exactly at d = 4, reflecting the variation of the amount of the temporal dimension that is transferred to the spatial one with the strength of fluctuations. Moreover, special finite-size scaling appears ubiquitously except for d = d c0.

Evaluation of the critical behavior near ferromagnetic to paramagnetic phase transition in CrTe1-xSex alloys: An experimental study

We used the conventional solid-state reaction method to prepare stoichiometric samples of CrTe1-xSex, where 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.10, and investigated the structural and critical behavior of the prepared samples. Room temperature powder X-ray diffraction, along with Rietveld refinement, revealed the emergence of the NiAs structure with P63/mmc (194) space group with increasing Se substitution. The high-temperature linear fit to inverse of the dc-susceptibility versus temperature for the mother sample resulted in an effective moment of 3.65μB Cr with Curie-Weiss temperature near 335K, which is slightly higher than the Tc of ∼332K obtained from the inflection point of magnetization versus temperature. Magnetization isotherms were employed to investigate the critical behavior of ferromagnetic CrTe1-xSex with 0.0 ≤ x ≤ 0.10 near their Curie temperatures (Tc). The magnetic behavior near Tc was found to follow 3D mean-field critical exponents with a second-order phase transition in all samples investigated. We fine-tuned the critical exponents (β, γ, and δ) using a combination of an iteration technique, the Kouvel-Fisher method, and modified Arrott plots. All samples follow a mean field behavior, with Tc ranging from 298 to 340K. The acquired values exhibit self-consistency, as indicated by the results from the Widom scaling relation. Furthermore, the magnetization isotherms exhibit a universal scaling behavior, providing additional credence to the calculated critical exponents.

Thermalization and prethermalization in the soft-wall AdS/QCD model

The real-time dynamics of chiral phase transition is investigated in a two-flavor ($N_f=2$) soft-wall AdS/QCD model. To understand the dynamics of thermalization, we quench the system from initial states deviating from the equilibrium states. Then, we solve the nonequilibrium evolution of the order parameter (chiral condensate $\langle \sigma\equiv\bar{q}q\rangle$). It is shown that the system undergoes an exponential relaxation at temperatures away from the critical temperature $T_c$. The relaxation time diverges at $T_c$, presenting a typical behavior of critical slowing down. Numerically, we extract the dynamic critical exponent $z$, and get $z\approx 2$ by fitting the scaling behavior $\sigma\propto t^{-\beta/(\nu z)}$, where the mean-field static critical exponents (order parameter critical exponent $\beta=1/2$, correlation length critical exponent $\nu=1/2$ ) have been applied. More interestingly, it is remarked that, for a large class of initial states, the system would linger over a quasi-steady state for a certain period of time before the thermalization. It is suggested that the interesting phenomenon, known as prethermalization, has been observed in the framework of holographic models. In such prethermal stage, we verify that the system is characterized by a universal dynamical scaling law and described by the initial-slip exponent $\theta=0$.

Droplet finite-size scaling of the contact process on scale-free networks revisited

We present an alternative finite-size scaling (FSS) of the contact process on scale-free networks compatible with mean-field scaling and test it with extensive Monte Carlo simulations. In our FSS theory, the dependence on the system size enters the external field, which represents spontaneous contamination in the context of an epidemic model. In addition, dependence on the finite size in the scale-free networks also enters the network cutoff. We show that our theory reproduces the results of other mean-field theories on finite lattices already reported in the literature. To simulate the dynamics, we impose quasi-stationary states by reactivation. We insert spontaneously infected individuals, equivalent to a droplet perturbation to the system scaling as [Formula: see text]. The system presents an absorbing phase transition where the critical behavior obeys the mean-field exponents, as we show theoretically and by simulations. However, the quasi-stationary state gives finite-size logarithmic corrections, predicted by our FSS theory, and reproduces equivalent results in the literature in the thermodynamic limit. We also report the critical threshold estimates of basic reproduction number [Formula: see text] of the model as a linear function of the network connectivity inverse [Formula: see text], and the extrapolation of the critical threshold function for [Formula: see text] yields the basic reproduction number [Formula: see text] of the complete graph, as expected. Decreasing the network connectivity increases the critical [Formula: see text] for this model.

Theory of Critical Phenomena with Memory

Memory is a ubiquitous characteristic of complex systems, and critical phenomena are one of the most intriguing phenomena in nature. Here, we propose an Ising model with memory, develop a corresponding theory of critical phenomena with memory for complex systems, and discover a series of surprising novel results. We show that a naive theory of a usual Hamiltonian with a direct inclusion of a power-law decaying long-range temporal interaction violates radically a hyperscaling law for all spatial dimensions even at and below the upper critical dimension. This entails both indispensable consideration of the Hamiltonian for dynamics, rather than the usual practice of just focusing on the corresponding dynamic Lagrangian alone, and transformations that result in a correct theory in which space and time are inextricably interwoven, leading to an effective spatial dimension that repairs the hyperscaling law. The theory gives rise to a set of novel mean-field critical exponents, which are different from the usual Landau ones, as well as new universality classes. These exponents are verified by numerical simulations of the Ising model with memory in two and three spatial dimensions.

Absence of isolated critical points with nonstandard critical exponents in the four-dimensional regularization of Lovelock gravity

Hyperbolic vacuum black holes in Lovelock gravity theories of odd order $N$, in which $N$ denotes the order of higher-curvature corrections, are known to have the so-called isolated critical points with nonstandard critical exponents (as $\alpha = 0$, $\beta = 1$, $\gamma = N-1$, and $\delta = N$), different from those of mean-field critical exponents (with $\alpha = 0$, $\beta = 1/2$, $\gamma = 1$, and $\delta = 3$). Motivated by this important observation, here, we explore the consequences of taking the $D \to 4$ limit of Lovelock gravity and the possibility of finding nonstandard critical exponents associated with isolated critical points in four-dimensions by use of the four-dimensional regularization technique, proposed recently by Glavan and Lin \cite{Glavan2020}. To do so, we first present $\text{AdS}_4$ Einstein-Lovelock black holes with fine-tuned Lovelock couplings in the regularized theory, which is needed for our purpose. Next, it is shown that the regularized $4D$ Einstein-Lovelock gravity theories of odd order $N > 3$ do not possess any physical isolated critical point, unlike the conventional Lovelock gravity. In fact, the critical (inflection) points of the equation of state always occur for the branch of black holes with negative entropy. The situation is quite different for the case of the regularized $4D$ Einstein-Lovelock gravity with cubic curvature corrections ($N=3$). In this case ($N=3$), although the entropy is non-negative and the equation of state of hyperbolic vacuum black holes has a nonstandard Taylor expansion about its inflection point, but there is no criticality associated with this special point. At the inflection point, the physical properties of the black hole system change drastically ...

Dynamical phase transitions in annihilating random walks with pair deposition

Exact results are presented for conditioned dynamics in a system of interacting random walks in one dimension that annihilate immediately when two particles meet on the same site and where pairs of particles are deposited randomly on neighbouring sites. For an atypical hopping activity one finds dynamical nonequilibrium phase transitions analogous to the zero-temperature equilibrium phase transitions that appear in the spin-1/2 quantum XY spin chain in a transverse magnetic field. Along the critical line the approach of the particle density to its stationary value is algebraic with an unexpected mean field exponent. The time-dependent local stationary density correlations are universal with dynamical exponent z = 1. Inside the disordered phase spatially oscillating correlations appear below the typical activity.

Frustrated Superradiant Phase Transition.

Frustration occurs when a system cannot find a lowest-energy configuration due to conflicting constraints. We show that a frustrated superradiant phase transition occurs when the ground-state superradiance of cavity fields due to local light-matter interactions cannot simultaneously minimize the positive photon hopping energies. We solve the Dicke trimer model on a triangle motif with both negative and positive hopping energies and show that the latter results in a sixfold degenerate ground-state manifold in which the translational symmetry is spontaneously broken. In the frustrated superradiant phase, we find that two sets of diverging time and fluctuation scales coexist, one governed by the mean-field critical exponent and another by a novel critical exponent. The latter is associated with the fluctuation in the difference of local order parameters and gives rise to site-dependent photon number critical exponents, which may serve as an experimental probe for the frustrated superradiant phase. We provide a qualitative explanation for the emergence of unconventional critical scalings and demonstrate that they are generic properties of the frustrated superradiant phase at the hand of a one-dimensional Dicke lattice with an odd number of sites. The mechanism for the frustrated superradiant phase transition discovered here applies to any lattice geometries where the antiferromagnetic ordering of neighboring sites are incompatible and therefore our work paves the way toward the exploration of frustrated phases of coupled light and matter.

Annealed inhomogeneities in random ferromagnets.

We consider spin models on complex networks frequently used to model social and technological systems. We study the annealed ferromagnetic Ising model for random networks with either independent edges (Erdős-Rényi) or prescribed degree distributions (configuration model). Contrary to many physical models, the annealed setting is poorly understood and behaves quite differently than the quenched system. In annealed networks with a fluctuating number of edges, the Ising model changes the degree distribution, an aspect previously ignored. For random networks with Poissonian degrees, this gives rise to three distinct annealed critical temperatures depending on the precise model choice, only one of which reproduces the quenched one. In particular, two of these annealed critical temperatures are finite even when the quenched one is infinite because then the annealed graph creates a giant component for all sufficiently small temperatures. We see that the critical exponents in the configuration model with deterministic degrees are the same as the quenched ones, which are the mean-field exponents if the degree distribution has finite fourth moment and power-law-dependent critical exponents otherwise. Remarkably, the annealing for the configuration model with random independent and identically distributed degrees washes away the universality class with power-law critical exponents.

Universal properties of active membranes.

We put forward a general field theory for nearly flat fluid membranes with embedded activators and analyze their critical properties using renormalization group techniques. Depending on the membrane-activator coupling, we find a crossover between acoustic and diffusive scaling regimes, with mean-field dynamical critical exponents z=1 and 2, respectively. We argue that the acoustic scaling, which is exact in all spatial dimensions, leads to an early-time behavior, which is representative of the spatiotemporal patterns observed at the leading edge of motile cells, such as oscillations superposed on the growth of the membrane width. In the case of mean-field diffusive scaling, one-loop corrections to the mean-field exponents reveal universal behavior distinct from the Kardar-Parisi-Zhang scaling of passive interfaces and signs of strong-coupling behavior.

Neuronal avalanches in Watts-Strogatz networks of stochastic spiking neurons.

Networks of stochastic leaky integrate-and-fire neurons, both at the mean-field level and in square lattices, present a continuous absorbing phase transition with power-law neuronal avalanches at the critical point. Here we complement these results showing that small-world Watts-Strogatz networks have mean-field critical exponents for any rewiring probability p>0. For the ring (p=0), the exponents are the same from the dimension d=1 of the directed-percolation class. In the model, firings are stochastic and occur in discrete time steps, based on a sigmoidal firing probability function. Each neuron has a membrane potential that integrates the signals received from its neighbors. The membrane potentials are subject to a leakage parameter. We study topologies with a varied number of neuron connections and different values of the leakage parameter. Results indicate that the dynamic range is larger for p=0. We also study a homeostatic synaptic depression mechanism to self-organize the network towards the critical region. These stochastic oscillations are characteristic of the so-called self-organized quasicriticality.

Divergence of the Grüneisen ratio at symmetry-enhanced first-order quantum phase transitions

Studies of the Gr\"uneisen ratio, i.e., the ratio between thermal expansion and specific heat, have become a powerful tool in the context of quantum criticality since it was shown theoretically that the Gr\"uneisen ratio displays characteristic power-law divergencies upon approaching the transition point of a continuous quantum phase transition. Here we show that the Gr\"uneisen ratio also diverges at a symmetry-enhanced first-order quantum phase transition, albeit with mean-field exponents, as the enhanced symmetry implies the vanishing of a mode gap which is finite away from the transition. We provide explicit results for simple pseudospin models, both with and without Goldstone modes in the stable phases, and discuss implications.

Boundary effects on finite-size scaling for the 5-dimensional Ising model

High-dimensional (d≥5) Ising systems have mean-field critical exponents. However, at the critical temperature the finite-size scaling of the susceptibility χ depends on the boundary conditions. A system with periodic boundary conditions then has χ∝L5/2. Deleting the 5L4 boundary edges we receive a system with free boundary conditions and now χ∝L2. In the present work we find that deleting the L4 boundary edges along just one direction is enough to have the scaling χ∝L2. It also appears that deleting L3 boundary edges results in an intermediate scaling, here estimated to χ∝L2.275. We also study how the energy and magnetisation distributions change when deleting boundary edges.

The diffusive epidemic process on Barabasi–Albert networks

We present a modified diffusive epidemic process (DEP) that has a finite threshold on scale-free graphs, motivated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The DEP describes the epidemic spreading of a disease in a non-sedentary population, which can describe the spreading of a real disease. Our main modification is to use the Gillespie algorithm with a reaction time t max, exponentially distributed with mean inversely proportional to the node population in order to model the individuals’ interactions. Our simulation results of the modified model on Barabasi–Albert networks are compatible with a continuous absorbing-active phase transition when increasing the average concentration. The transition obeys the mean-field critical exponents β = 1, γ′ = 0 and ν ⊥ = 1/2. In addition, the system presents logarithmic corrections with pseudo-exponents on the order parameter and its fluctuations, respectively. The most evident implication of our simulation results is if the individuals avoid social interactions in order to not spread a disease, this leads the system to have a finite threshold in scale-free graphs.

Structure of quantum entanglement at a finite temperature critical point

We propose a scheme to characterize long-range quantum entanglement close to a finite temperature critical point using tripartite entanglement negativity. As an application, we study a model with mean-field Ising critical exponents and find that the tripartite negativity does not exhibit any singularity in the thermodynamic limit across the transition. This indicates that the long-distance critical fluctuations are completely classical, allowing one to define a `quantum correlation length' that remains finite at the transition despite a divergent physical correlation length. Motivated by our model, we also study mixed state entanglement in tight-binding models of bosons with $U(1)$ and time-reversal symmetry. By employing Glauber-Sudarshan `P-representation', we find a surprising result that such states have zero entanglement.

QCD phase diagram at finite isospin chemical potential and temperature in an IR-improved soft-wall AdS/QCD model * * H.L. is Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (11405074). D.L. is Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (11805084), the PhD Start-up Fund of Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province (2018030310457) and Guangdong Pearl River Talents Plan

We study the phase transition between the pion condensed phase and normal phase, as well as chiral phase transition in a two flavor ( ) IR- improved soft-wall AdS/QCD model at finite isospin chemical potential and temperature T. By self-consistently solving the equations of motion, we obtain the phase diagram in the plane of and T. The pion condensation appears together with a massless Nambu-Goldstone boson , which is very likely to be a second-order phase transition with mean-field critical exponents in the small region. When , the critical isospin chemical potential approximates to vacuum pion mass . The pion condensed phase exists in an arched area, and the boundary of the chiral crossover intersects the pion condensed phase at a tri-critical point. Qualitatively, the results are in good agreement with previous studies on lattice simulations and model calculations.

Landau theory for non-equilibrium steady states

We examine how non-equilibrium steady states close to a continuous phase transition can still be described by a Landau potential if one forgoes the assumption of analyticity. In a system simultaneously coupled to several baths at different temperatures, the non-analytic potential arises from the different density of states of the baths. In periodically driven-dissipative systems, the role of multiple baths is played by a single bath transferring energy at different harmonics of the driving frequency. The mean-field critical exponents become dependent on the low-energy features of the two most singular baths. We propose an extension beyond mean field.

Driven-dissipative dynamics of atomic ensembles in a resonant cavity: Quasiperiodic route to chaos and chaotic synchronization

We analyze the origin and properties of the chaotic dynamics of two atomic ensembles in a driven-dissipative experimental setup, where they are collectively damped by a bad cavity mode and incoherently pumped by a Raman laser. Starting from the mean-field equations, we explain the emergence of chaos by way of quasiperiodicity — presence of two or more incommensurate frequencies. This is known as the Ruelle–Takens–Newhouse route to chaos. The equations of motion have a Z2-symmetry with respect to the interchange of the two ensembles. However, some of the attractors of these equations spontaneously break this symmetry. To understand the emergence and subsequent properties of various attractors, we concurrently study the mean-field trajectories, Poincaré sections, maximum and conditional Lyapunov exponents, and power spectra. Using Floquet analysis, we show that quasiperiodicity is born out of non-Z2-symmetric oscillations via a supercritical Neimark–Sacker bifurcation. Changing the detuning between the level spacings in the two ensembles and the repump rate results in the synchronization of the two chaotic ensembles. In this regime, the chaotic intensity fluctuations of the light radiated by the two ensembles are identical. Identifying the synchronization manifold, we understand the origin of synchronized chaos as a tangent bifurcation intermittency of the Z2-symmetric oscillations. At its birth, synchronized chaos is unstable. The interaction of this attractor with other attractors causes on–off intermittency until the synchronization manifold becomes sufficiently attractive. We also show coexistence of different phases in small pockets near the boundaries.