Construction of spin models displaying quantum criticality from quantum field theory

We provide a method for constructing finite temperature states of one-dimensional spin chains displaying quantum criticality. These models are constructed using correlators of products of quantum fields and have an analytical purification. Their properties can be investigated by Monte Carlo simulations, which enable us to study the low-temperature phase diagram and to show that it displays a region of quantum criticality. The mixed states obtained are shown to be close to the thermal state of a simple nearest neighbor Hamiltonian