Generalized random energy models in a transversal magnetic field: free energy and phase diagrams (Q2154633)

The main aim of this work is to derive reasonably explicit variational expressions, which allow us to determine the structure of the phase diagram, for the quantum versions of three classic hierarchical and related mean-field spin glasses: (i) Derrida's generalized random energy model (GREM) [\textit{B. Derrida}, ``A generalization of the random energy model which includes correlations between energies'', J. de Physique Lettres 46, 401--407 (1985)], (ii) its continuous version (CREM), and (iii) the nonhierarchical GREM by \textit{E. Bolthausen} and \textit{N. Kistler} [Ann. Appl. Probab. 16, No. 1, 1--14 (2006; Zbl 1100.60026)]. The authors determine explicit variational expressions for the quantum free energy of mean-field spin glasses in a transversal magnetic field, whose glass interaction is given by a hierarchical Gaussian potential as in Derrida's generalized random energy model (GREM), its continuous version (CREM), or the nonhierarchical GREM. The corresponding phase diagrams, which generally include glass transitions as well as transitions to quantum paramagnetic and mixed quantum-classical phases, are discussed. In the glass phase, the free energy is generally determined by both the parameters of the classical model and the transversal field