Spontaneous symmetry breaking and response functions (Q2484469)

The authors deal with an infinite, non-relativistic, homogeneous system of neutrons interacting through a simple ferromagnetic force of Heisenberg type with the aim to discuss general aspects of the spontaneous symmetry breaking associated with a quantum phase transition. The main attention is payed to detailed analysis of the dependence upon the interaction range of the critical values of the coupling and the excitation spectrum of a system undergoing a quantum phase transition, or equivalently, the response functions to external probes acting on the spin of the constituents of the system. Probing the system along the direction of the spontaneous magnetization, the main feature of the response function relates to the occurence of two distinct peaks, which reflect both the action of the ferromagnetic force and of the Pauli principle. The response along the direction orthogonal to the spontaneous magnetization displays instead, beyond a softened and depleted particle-hole continuum, a collective mode, which is identified with a Goldstone boson in the non-relativistic regime.