The microscopic origin of abrupt transitions in interdependent systems
Abstract
Phase transitions are fundamental features of statistical physics. While the well-studied continuous phase transitions are known to be controlled by external \textit{macroscopic} changes in the order parameter, the origin of abrupt transitions is not yet clear. Here we show that abrupt phase transitions may occur due to a unique internal \textit{microscopic} cascading mechanism, resulting from dependency interactions. We experimentally unveil the underlying mechanism of the abrupt transition in interdependent superconducting networks to be governed by a unique metastable state of a long-living resistance cascading plateau. This plateau is characterized by spontaneous \textit{microscopic} changes that last for \textit{thousands} of seconds, followed by a \textit{macroscopic} phase shift of the system. Similar microscopic mechanisms are expected to be found in a variety of systems showing abrupt transitions.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2403.03050,
title = {The microscopic origin of abrupt transitions in interdependent systems},
author = {Bnaya Gross and Irina Volotsenko and Yuval Sallem and Nahala Yadid and Ivan Bonamassa and Shlomo Havlin and Aviad Frydman},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2403.03050},
year = {2024}
}