Extraordinary-log Universality of Critical Phenomena in Plane Defects

There is growing evidence that extraordinary-log critical behavior emerges on the open surfaces of critical systems in a semi-infinite geometry. Here, using extensive Monte Carlo simulations, we observe extraordinary-log critical behavior on the plane defects of O(2) critical systems in an infinite geometry. In this extraordinary-log critical phase, the large-distance two-point correlation $G$ obeys the logarithmic finite-size scaling $G \sim ({\rm ln}L)^{-\hat{q}}$ with the linear size $L$, having the critical exponent $\hat{q}=0.29(2)$. Meanwhile, the helicity modulus $\Upsilon$ follows the scaling form $\Upsilon \sim \alpha({\rm ln}L)/L$ with the universal parameter $\alpha=0.56(3)$. The values of $\hat{q}$ and $\alpha$ do not fall into any known universality class of critical phenomena, yet they conform to the scaling relation of extraordinary-log universality. We also discuss the extension of current results to a quantum system that is experimentally accessible. These findings reshape our understanding of extraordinary-log critical phenomena.