First order phase transition in the few-body XY-models with surface fields

Abstract

We investigate the one-dimensional finite-size XY model with opposing surface fields in the X direction. Exact solutions are obtained for the two-site and three-site models, while numerical methods are employed for models with more than three sites. Remarkably, first-order quantum phase transitions are observed in this system. At the phase transition point, the energy gap closes linearly, and the magnetization at each site undergoes a discontinuous jump. Additionally, we identify a $Z_2$ symmetry that accompanies the phase transition and its associated symmetry change. Notably, the first-order phase transition in finite-size systems does not exhibit the conventional finite-size rounding effect. On the contrary, there exists a counterintuitive finite-size effect: the amplitude of the jump in magnetization at each site decreases as the lattice size increases. Interestingly, lattices with an even number of sites share a common phase boundary, while lattices with an odd number of sites have a distinct phase boundary.