Related papers: Causality and non-equilibrium second-order phase t…
When traversing a symmetry breaking second order phase transition at a finite rate, topological defects form whose number dependence on the quench rate is given by simple power laws. We propose a general approach for the derivation of such…
We show that, in second-order phase transformations induced by an inhomogeneous quench, the density of topological defects is drastically suppressed as the velocity with which the quench propagates becomes smaller than the speed at which…
Symmetry-breaking phase transitions are ubiquitous in condensed matter systems and in quantum field theories. There is also good reason to believe that they feature in the very early history of the Universe. At many such transitions…
In the course of a non-equilibrium continuous phase transition, the dynamics ceases to be adiabatic in the vicinity of the critical point as a result of the critical slowing down (the divergence of the relaxation time in the neighborhood of…
In the nonadiabatic dynamics across a quantum phase transition, the Kibble-Zurek mechanism predicts that the formation of topological defects is suppressed as a universal power law with the quench time. In inhomogeneous systems, the…
Symmetry breaking phase transitions play an important role in nature. When a system traverses such a transition at a finite rate, its causally disconnected regions choose the new broken symmetry state independently. Where such local choices…
We study the influence of topology on the quench dynamics of a system driven across a quantum critical point. We show how the appearance of certain edge states, which fully characterise the topology of the system, dramatically modifies the…
We discuss the origin of topological defects in phase transitions and analyze their role as a "diagnostic tool" in the study of the non-equilibrium dynamics of symmetry breaking. Homogeneous second order phase transitions are the focus of…
The formation of topological defects during continuous second-order phase transitions is well described by the Kibble-Zurek mechanism (KZM). However, when the spontaneously broken symmetry is only approximate, such transitions become smooth…
We study the nonequilibrium dynamics leading to the formation of topological defects in a symmetry-breaking phase transition of a quantum scalar field with \lambda\Phi^4 self-interaction in a spatially flat, radiation-dominated…
In phase transition dynamics involving symmetry breaking, topological defects can be spontaneously created but it is suppressed in a spatially inhomogeneous system due to the spreading of the ordered phase information. We demonstrate the…
A topological phase can undergo a phase transition driven by anyon condensation. A potential obstruction to such a mechanism could arise if there exists a symmetry between anyons that have non-trivial mutual statistics. Here we consider…
The influence of topological defects on phase synchronization and phase coherence in two-dimensional arrays of locally-coupled, nonidentical, chaotic oscillators is investigated. The motion of topological defects leads to a breakdown of…
We investigate the system size scaling of the net defect number created by a rapid quench in a second-order quantum phase transition from an O(N) symmetric state to a phase of broken symmetry. Using a controlled mean-field expansion for…
The phase transitions and critical properties of two types of inhomogeneous systems are reviewed. In one case, the local critical behaviour results from the particular shape of the system. Here scale-invariant forms like wedges or cones are…
Extending notions of phase transitions to nonequilibrium realm is a fundamental problem for statistical mechanics. While it was discovered that critical transitions occur even for transient states before relaxation as the singularity of a…
We identify a new universality class of phase transitions that emerges in non-normal systems, extending the classical framework beyond eigenvalue instabilities. Unlike traditional critical phenomena, where transitions occur when eigenvalues…
We investigate the coupled dynamics of symmetry breaking and phase separation during quenches across the critical point in a first-order phase transition. Based on the Einstein-Maxwell-scalar theory, we construct a holographic superfluid…
We consider a perfectly homogeneous and isotropic universe which undergoes a sudden phase transition. If the transition produces topological defects, which we assume, perturbations in the geometry and the cosmic fluid also suddenly appear.…
We identify a new universality class of phase transitions that arises in non-normal systems, challenging the classical view that transitions require eigenvalue instabilities. In traditional bifurcation theory, critical phenomena emerge when…