Roughness density

The theory of disordered elastic systems is one of the most powerful frameworks to assess the physics of multiple systems that span from ferromagnets to migrating biological cells. In this formalism, one assumes that the system can be described with a displacement field. This field can represent an interface position, the deformation of a vortex lattice or charge density waves in semiconductor devices, among others. By construction, this field is univalued and 'smooth', and, even if experimental realisations of it can be far from this description, the consequences of these approximations have not been yet fully explored. We present a new observable to measure the roughness of displacement fields that can be beyond the elastic limit and can contain overhangs and other defects. Our observable represents a stepping stone towards the construction of a general theory for interfaces.