Quantum phase transitions are changes in matter that occur because of quantum behaviour. As opposed to classical behaviour (see classical physics and phase changes). Normally only relevant at temperatures close to absolute zero. For certain types of material Quantum Phase transitions are important, for example the Bose-Einstein Condensate.
It signals a reorganization of the particles; A canonical example is the freezing transition of water describing the transition between liquid and ice.
The classical phasetransitions are driven by a competition between the energy of a system and the entropy of its thermal fluctuations.
A canonical quantumphasetransition is the well-studied superconductor/insulator transition in disordered thin films which separates two quantumphases having different symmetries.
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