Rounding of 1st Order Quantum Phase Transitions in Low- Dimensional Systems with Quenched Disorder

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Michael Aizenman, Princeton University
Jadwin Hall 343

The addition of quenched disorder has a rounding effect on 1st order phase transition in systems of sufficiently low dimension (d=2, and up to d=4 in case of continuous symmetry). The talk will focus on the recent extension to quantum phase transition of a result that was previously proven for classical systems, and on a currently studied question concerning the nature of the disorder-dominated state in d=2 dimensions. (Work done in different collaborations.)