Related papers: Decay of Metastable States: Sharp Transition from …
One of the most fundamental difference between classical and quantum mechanics is observed in the particle tunneling through a localized potential: the former predicts a discontinuous transmission coefficient ($T$) as a function in incident…
Using scanning tunneling spectroscopy in ultra-high vacuum at low temperature (T = 0.3 K) and high magnetic fields (B < 12 T), we directly probe electronic wave functions across an integer quantum Hall transition. In accordance with…
First order quantum phase transitions (1QPTs) are signaled, in the thermodynamic limit, by discontinuous changes in the ground state properties. These discontinuities affect expectation values of observables, including spatial correlations.…
Random first order transition theory is used to determine the role of attractive and repulsive interactions in the dynamics of supercooled liquids. Self-consistent phonon theory, an approximate mean field treatment consistent with random…
We consider a system of two semifluxons of opposite polarity in a 0-pi-0 long Josephson junction, which classically can be in one of two degenerate states: up-down or down-up. When the distance $a$ between the 0-pi boundaries (semifluxon's…
Melting is omnipresent in nature and technology, with applications ranging from metallurgy, biology, food science, and latent thermal energy storage to oceanography, geophysics, and climate science, and occurring on all scales from…
We consider quantum and classical first-order transitions, at equilibrium and under out-of-equilibrium conditions, mainly focusing on quench and slow quasi-adiabatic protocols. For these phenomena, we review the finite-size scaling theory…
Via computer simulations, we provide evidence that the shear rate induced red blood cell tumbling-to-tank-treading transition also occurs at quite high volume fractions, where collective effects are important. The transition takes place as…
Based on experimental data, we propose a model to evaluate the energy dissipated during quantum tunneling processes in solid-state junctions. This model incorporates a nonlinear friction force expressed in the general form f(x)={\gamma}…
A striking prediction in topological insulators is the appearance of the quantized Hall resistance when the surface states are magnetized. The surface Dirac states become gapped everywhere on the surface, but chiral edge states remain on…
Whereas the entropy of any deterministic classical system described by a principle of least action is zero, one can assign a "quantum information" to quantum mechanical degree of freedom equal to Hausdorff area of the deviation from a…
The transport of ultra-cold atoms in magneto-optical potentials provides a clean setting in which to investigate the distinct predictions of classical versus quantum dynamics for a system with coupled degrees of freedom. In this system,…
Quantum phase transitional behavior of a finite periodic XX spin-1/2 chain with nearest neighbor interaction in a uniform transverse field is studied based on the simple exact solutions. It is found that there are [N/2] level-crossing…
A model of an electrical point contact coupled to a mechanical system (oscillator) is studied to simulate the dephasing effect of measurement on a quantum system. The problem is solved at zero temperature under conditions of strong…
A microcanonical first order transition, connecting a clustered to a homogeneous phase, is studied from both the thermodynamic and dynamical point of view for a N-body Hamiltonian system with infinite-range couplings. In the microcanonical…
Period tripling in driven quantum oscillators reveals unique features absent for linear and parametric drive, but generic for all higher-order resonances. Here, we focus at zero temperature on the relaxation dynamics towards a stationary…
Current switching in a double-barrier resonant tunneling structure is studied in the regime where the current-voltage characteristic exhibits intrinsic bistability, so that in a certain range of bias two different steady states of current…
Metastable quantum dynamics of an asymmetric triangular cluster that is coupled to a reservoir is investigated. The dynamics is governed by bath-mediated transitions, which in part require a thermal activation process. The decay rate is…
We consider the cosmological model of a self-interacting $\phi^4 - \phi^2$ quantum scalar field and extend our previous results, [3], on resonant tunneling and consequent particle production, to the case of finite temperature. Using the…
When we lower the temperature of a liquid, at some point we meet a first order phase transition to the crystal. Yet, under certain conditions it is possible to keep the system in its metastable phase and to avoid crystallization. In this…