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We present results of numerical studies of the Landau-Ginzburg dynamics of the order parameter in one-dimensional models inspired by the condensed matter analogues of cosmological phase transitions. The main goal of our work is to show…
Numerical study of order parameter dynamics in the course of second order (Landau-Ginzburg) symmetry breaking transitions shows that the density of topological defects, kinks, is proportional to the fourth root of the rate of the quench.…
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…
The density of extended topological defects created during symmetry-breaking phase transitions depends on the ratio between the correlation length in the symmetric phase near $T_c$ and the winding length of the defects as determined by the…
These lectures address the dynamics of phase ordering out of equilibrium in condensed matter and in quantum field theory in cosmological settings, emphasizing their similarities and differences. In condensed matter we describe 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 control of condensed matter systems out of equilibrium by laser pulses allows us to investigate the system trajectories through symmetry-breaking phase transitions. Thus the evolution of both collective modes and single particle…
Symmetry breaking phase transitions from less to more ordered phases will typically produce topological defects in the ordered phase. Kibble-Zurek theory predicts that for any second-order phase transition, such as the early universe, the…
Symmetry-breaking phase transitions may leave behind topological defects \cite{Kibble} with a density dependent on the quench rate \cite{Zurek}. We investigate the dynamics of such quenches for the one-dimensional, Landau-Ginzburg case and…
From the theory of topological defect formation proposed for the early universe, the so called Kibble mechanism, it follows that the density correlation functions of defects and anti-defects in a given system should be completely determined…
We study the dynamic after a smooth quench across a continuous transition from the disordered phase to the ordered phase. Based on scaling ideas, linear response and the spectrum of unstable modes, we develop a theoretical framework, valid…
Topological defects are thought to be left behind by the cosmological phase transitions which occur as the universe expands and cools. Similar processes can be studied in the phase transitions which take place in the laboratory:…
The Kibble-Zurek mechanism (KZM) successfully predicts the density of topological defects deposited by the phase transitions, but it is not clear why. Its key conjecture is that, near the critical point of the second-order phase transition,…
We consider quantum phase transitions with global symmetry breakings that result in the formation of topological defects. We evaluate the number densities of kinks, vortices, and monopoles that are produced in $d=1,2,3$ spatial dimensions…
In equilibrium, confined films of superfluid $^3$He-A have the chiral axis, $\hat{\ell}$, locked normal to the surface of the film. There are two degenerate ground states $\hat{\ell}\;||\pm\hat{z}$. However, for a temperature quench, i.e.…
We numerically study the density of topological defects for a two-dimensional assembly of particles driven over quenched disorder as a function of quench rate through the nonequilibrium phase transition from a plastic disordered flowing…
We study the non-equilibrium dynamics of two dimensional planar ion Coulomb crystals undergoing a structural buckling transition to a three plane configuration, driven by a reduction of the transverse confining frequency. This phase…
The degree of randomness, or partial order, present in two-dimensional supramolecular arrays of isophthalate tetracarboxylic acids is shown to vary due to subtle chemical changes such as the choice of solvent or small differences in…
We investigate the formation of topological defects in the course of a dynamical phase transition with different boundary conditions in a ring from AdS/CFT correspondence. According to the Kibble-Zurek mechanism, quenching the system across…
The formation of topological defects in second-order phase transitions can be investigated by solving partial differential equations for the evolution of the order parameter in space and time, such as the Langevin equation. We demonstrate…