FINITE-TEMPERATURE TRANSITION INTO A POWER-LAW SPIN PHASE WITH AN EXTENSIVE ZERO-POINT ENTROPY

We introduce an xy generalization of the frustrated Ising model on a t riangular lattice. The presence of continuous degrees of freedom stabi lizes a finite-temperature spin state with power-law discrete spin cor relations and an extensive zero-point entropy. In this phase, the unqu enched degrees of freedom can be described by a fluctuating surface wi th logarithmic height correlations. Finite-size Monte Carlo simulation s have been used to characterize the exponents of the transition and t he dynamics of the low-temperature phase.