Quantum correlations in spin chains at finite temperatures and quantum phase transitions

Abstract: We compute the quantum correlation (quantum discord (QD)) and the entanglement (EoF) between nearest neighbor qubits (spin-1/2) in an infinite chain described by the Heisenberg model (XXZ Hamiltonian) at finite temperatures. The chain is in the thermodynamic limit and thermalized with a reservoir at temperature T (canonical ensemble). We show that QD, in contrast to EoF and other thermodynamic quantities, spotlight the critical points associated to quantum phase transitions (QPT) for this model even at finite T. This remarkable property of QD may have important implications for experimental characterization of QPTs when one is unable to reach temperatures below which a QPT can be seen.