Nature of the ordering of the three-dimensional XY spin glass

Abstract

Spin and chirality orderings of a three-dimensional XY spin glass are studied by extensive Monte Carlo simulations. By calculating an appropriately defined spin-overlap distribution function, we show that the finite-temperature chiral-glass transition does not accompany the standard spin-glass order, giving support to the spin-chirality decoupling picture. Critical behavior of the chiral-glass transition turns out to be different from that of the Ising spin glass. The chiral-glass ordered state exhibits a one-step-like peculiar replica-symmetry breaking.