nLab quantum phase transition

Idea

In solid state physics, a quantum phase transition is a phase transition in a quantum material that occurs at absolute zero temperature as some other non-temperature thermodynamic variable is varied (such as pressure or an external magnetic field).

Quantum phase transition tend to be associated to (dis-)appearance of topological order, detected by topological entanglement entropy.

References

Review:

• Matthias Vojta, Quantum phase transitions, Rep. Prog. Phys. 66, 2069 (2003) (arXiv:cond-mat/0309604)

See also:

• Wikipedia, Quantum phase transition