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Long-Range Order in a Strictly Short-Range Quasi-2D XY Model: When Critical Fluctuations Matter
Minghui Hu1, Chao Zhang1, Dajun Zhang1
1Anhui Normal University, Department of Physics and Anhui Province Key Laboratory for Control and Applications of Optoelectronic Information Materials, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, China.
Abstract:
The phase of spins in the quasi-two-dimensional (q2D) XY model has emerged as a topic of significant interest across multiple subfields of physics. Conventional wisdom, rooted in the Mermin-Wagner theorem and supported by existing paradigms, asserts that true long-range (LR) order is prohibited in q2D systems with continuous symmetries and short-range (SR) interactions. In this Letter, we propose a strictly SR q2D XY model defined on a plane perpendicularly intersected by a group of parallel planes, where each plane consists of XY spins coupled via nearest-neighbor interactions. Through large-scale Monte Carlo simulations complemented by finite-size scaling analysis, we establish the complete phase diagram of the setup. A LR ordered phase emerges in the q2D model when the spins on the parallel planes develop a Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless critical phase. The LR ordered phase is anisotropic: true LR correlations develop exclusively along the direction of the intersection lines, while the perpendicular direction exhibits quasi-long-range order. Furthermore, the LR order exhibits Goldstone-mode physics. Our findings reveal a mechanism for stabilizing LR order in low-dimensional systems with continuous symmetries, thereby establishing a new platform for studying exotic superfluidity.
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