Exactly solvable model reveals how trapped light can create magnetic order in one-dimensional spin chains
A research team wanted to better understand how the forces between particles inside a material change. They discovered that by confining one-dimensional classical spin chains inside a mirror box cavity with light, they could force these magnetic particles to organize and undergo a phase transition. Their work provides the simplest exactly solvable examples showing that light can create new phase…
Researchers explored the behavior of a one-dimensional chain of magnetic particles when confined within a cavity and exposed to light. While a single chain without light does not exhibit a magnetic phase transition at finite temperatures, the team discovered that coupling the chain to a cavity photon field can induce a second-order magnetic phase transition.
This means that the cavity light can create long-range interactions between all spins, causing the one-dimensional spin chain to develop magnetic order and a macroscopic light field at finite temperature. The researchers used an exactly solvable model to analytically determine the magnetization, photon number, and critical temperature of this new phase transition.
The findings have potential applications in both physics and chemistry, and could guide future experimental platforms such as superconducting-qubit arrays and one-dimensional magnets coupled to sub-terahertz cavities.
Written by urgent.news from Phys.org's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
