We suggest a possible origin for abrupt mixed-order transitions in physical systems and demonstrate it on three different Ising models with additional different types of interactions. We identify a ...

Relaxor-ferroelectrics 1,2,3 and relaxor-ferromagnets 4,5,6 have attracted a lot of attentions due to their novel physical properties and phase-transition mechanisms 7,8. Among them, there are the ...

Many systems in nature—and in society—can suddenly change their properties: Water freezes at normal pressure at 32°F, a power grid collapses when a central substation fails, or a society splits into ...