Phase behavior under the averaging over disorder realizations

Abstract

Effects of the averaging over disorder realizations (samples) on the phase behavior are analyzed in terms of the mean field approximation for the random field Ising model with infinite range interactions. It is found that the averaging is equivalent to a drastic modification in the statistics of the quenched variables. In its turn, this lowers the critical temperature of a second-order phase transition or, depending on the sampling, even suppresses the ordered phase. Possible first order transitions are shown to be softened by the sample averaging. Common issues and differences in the interpretation of these effects in the context of the simulation and experimental studies are discussed.