A general relation between quantum phase transitions and the second derivative of the fidelity (or the “fidelity susceptibility”) is proposed. The validity and the limitation of the fidelity susceptibility in characterizing quantum phase transitions are thus established. Moreover, based on the bosonization method, general formulas of the fidelity and the fidelity susceptibility are obtained for a class of one-dimensional gapless systems known as the Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid. Applying these formulas to the one-dimensional spin-$1∕2$ $XXZ$ model, we find that quantum phase transitions, even of the Beresinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless type, can be signaled by the fidelity susceptibility.

• Received 2 October 2007

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.76.180403