Unifying static and dynamic properties in three-dimensional quantum antiferromagnets

Abstract

© 2017 American Physical Society. Quantum Monte Carlo simulations offer an unbiased means to study the static and dynamic properties of quantum critical systems, while quantum field theory provides direct analytical results. We study three-dimensional, critical quantum antiferromagnets by performing a combined analysis using both quantum field theory calculations and quantum Monte Carlo data. Explicitly, we analyze the order parameter (staggered magnetization), Néel temperature, quasiparticle gaps, and the susceptibilities in the scalar and vector channels. We connect the two approaches by deriving descriptions of the quantum Monte Carlo observables in terms of the quasiparticle excitations of the field theory. The remarkable agreement not only unifies the description of the static and dynamic properties of the system but also constitutes a thorough test of perturbative O(3) quantum field theory and opens new avenues for the analytical guidance of detailed numerical studies.