Topological theory of phase transitions

Topological Aspects of Phase Transitions

In the past decade and a half, an alternative analysis of phase transitions, based in the topological behavior of system configuration spaces, has been introduced. This method offers a new understanding of many phase transitions, particularly those in finite systems, using topology and manifold behavior. While the broadest hypotheses offered by researchers have proven overly optimistic, the met...

Topological Defects from First Order Gauge Theory Phase Transitions

We investigate the mechanism by which topological defects form in first order phase transitions with a charged order parameter. We show how thick superconductor vortices and heavy cosmic strings form by trapping of magnetic flux. In an external magnetic field, intermediate objects such as strips and membranes of magnetic flux and chains of single winding defects are produced. At non-zero temper...

Topological Phase Transitions in Multicomponent Superconductors.

We study the phase transition between a trivial and a time-reversal-invariant topological superconductor in a single-band system. By analyzing the interplay of symmetry, topology, and energetics, we show that for a generic normal state band structure, the phase transition occurs via extended intermediate phases in which even- and odd-parity pairing components coexist. For inversion-symmetric sy...

Topological transitions in Berry's phase interference effects.

Multifarious topological quantum phase transitions in two-dimensional topological superconductors

We study the two-dimensional topological superconductors of spinless fermions in a checkerboard-lattice Chern-insulator model. With the short-range p-wave superconducting pairing, multifarious topological quantum phase transitions have been found and several phases with high Chern numbers have been observed. We have established a rich phase diagram for these topological superconducting states. ...