Finite-Size Scaling Study of the Three-State Potts Model in Random Fields: Evidence for a Second-Order Transition

Abstract

Three-state Potts ferromagnets on the simple cubic lattice in random fields are studied by extensive Monte Carlo simulation. The implications of the possible hyperscaling violation to finite-size scaling are discussed. Evidence for a second-order transition is obtained, as well as rough estimates for critical exponents. A qualitative phase diagram is proposed compatible with the predictions of Blankschtein et al. on the random field-induced shift of the tricritical curve q = qc(d) in the plane of variables dimensionality d and number of states q.