Thermodynamics of multicolored loop models in three dimensions

We study order-disorder transitions in three-dimensional multicolored loop models using Monte Carlo simulations. We show that the nature of the transition is intimately related to the nature of the loops. The symmetric loops undergo a first-order phase transition, while the nonsymmetric loops show a second-order transition. The critical exponents for the nonsymmetric loops are calculated. In three dimensions, the regular loop model with no interactions is dual to the XY model. We argue that, due to interactions among the colors, the specific-heat exponent is found to be different from that of the regular loop model. The continuous nature of the transition is altered to a discontinuous one due to the strong intercolor interactions.