Ground-state morphologies in the random-field Ising model: scaling properties and non-Porod behavior

Pattern dynamics of density and velocity fields in segregation of fluid mixtures

We present comprehensive numerical results from a study of model H, which describes phase separation kinetics in binary fluid mixtures. We study the pattern dynamics of both density and velocity fields in d = 2, 3. The density length scales show three distinct regimes, in accordance with analytical arguments. The velocity length scale shows a diffusive behavior. We also study the scaling behavior of the morphologies for density and velocity fields and observe dynamical scaling in the relevant correlation functions and structure factors. Finally, we study the effect of quenched random field disorder on spinodal decomposition in model H.

Phase ordering dynamics of the random-field long-range Ising model in one dimension

We investigate the influence of long-range (LR) interactions on the phase ordering dynamics of the one-dimensional random-field Ising model (RFIM). Unlike the usual RFIM, a spin interacts with all other spins through a ferromagnetic coupling that decays as r^{-(1+σ)}, where r is the distance between two spins. In the absence of LR interactions, the size of coarsening domains R(t) exhibits a crossover from pure system behavior R(t)∼t^{1/2} to an asymptotic regime characterized by logarithmic growth: R(t)∼(lnt)^{2}. The LR interactions affect the preasymptotic regime, which now exhibits ballistic growth R(t)∼t, followed by σ-dependent growth R(t)∼t^{1/(1+σ)}. Additionally, the LR interactions also affect the asymptotic logarithmic growth, which becomes R(t)∼(lnt)^{α(σ)} with α(σ)<2. Thus, LR interactions lead to faster growth than for the nearest-neighbor system at short times. Unexpectedly, this driving force causes a slowing down of the dynamics (α<2) in the asymptotic logarithmic regime. This is explained in terms of a nontrivial competition between the pinning force caused by the random field and the driving force introduced by LR interactions. We also study the spatial correlation function and the autocorrelation function of the magnetization field. The former exhibits superuniversality for all σ, i.e., a scaling function that is independent of the disorder strength. The same holds for the autocorrelation function when σ<1, whereas a signature of the violation of superuniversality is seen for σ>1.

Dipolar Ising model: Phases, growth laws, and universality

The behavior of many magnetic and dielectric solids, and the more contemporary magnetic superlattices, is governed by dipolar interactions. They are anisotropic and long ranged, having varied consequences ranging from ground states with complicated magnetic order to the presence of glassy dynamics characterized by a plethora of relaxation times. These systems are well captured by the dipolar Ising model (DIM) with nearest-neighbor exchange interactions (J) and long-range dipolar interactions (D). Depending on the relative interaction strength Γ=J/D, there are four phases of distinct magnetic order and symmetry. Using Monte Carlo simulations, we perform deep quenches to study domain growth or coarsening in the d=3 DIM. This important nonequilibrium phenomenon has not been addressed as dipolar interactions are notoriously difficult to handle theoretically. Our study reveals that, in spite of the anisotropy in interactions and diversity in ground state configurations, we observe universality in the ordering dynamics of all phases.

Differences in mechanical properties lead to anomalous phase separation in a model cell co-culture

During the morphogenesis of tissues and tumors, cells often interact with neighbors with different mechanical properties, but the understanding of its role is lacking. We use active Brownian dynamics simulations to study a model co-culture consisting of two types of cells with the same size and self-propulsion speed, but different mechanical stiffness and cell-cell adhesion. As time evolves, the system phase separates out into clusters with distinct morphologies and transport properties for the two cell types. The density structure factors and the growth of cell clusters deviate from behavior characteristic of the phase separation in binary fluids. Our results capture emergent structure and motility previously observed in co-culture experiments and provide mechanistic insights into intercellular phase separation during development and disease.

Surface-directed spinodal decomposition on chemically patterned substrates

Surface-directed spinodal decomposition (SDSD) is the kinetic interplay of phase separation and wetting at a surface. This process is of great scientific and technological importance. In this paper, we report results from a numerical study of SDSD on a chemically patterned substrate. We consider simple surface patterns for our simulations, but most of the results apply for arbitrary patterns. In layers near the surface, we observe a dynamical crossover from a surface-registry regime to a phase-separation regime. We study this crossover using layerwise correlation functions and structure factors and domain length scales.

Ordering kinetics in a q-state random-bond clock model: Role of vortices and interfaces

In this article, we present a Monte Carlo study of phase transition and coarsening dynamics in the nonconserved two-dimensional random-bond q-state clock model (RBCM) deriving from a pure clock model [Chatterjee et al., Phys. Rev. E 98, 032109 (2018)10.1103/PhysRevE.98.032109]. Akin to the pure clock model, RBCM also passes through two different phases when quenched from a disordered initial configuration representing at infinite temperature. Our investigation of the equilibrium phase transition affirms that both upper (T_{c}^{1}) and lower (T_{c}^{2}) phase transition temperatures decrease with bond randomness strength ε. Effect of ε on the nonequilibrium coarsening dynamics is investigated following independent rapid quenches in the quasi-long-range ordered (QLRO, T_{c}^{2}<T<T_{c}^{1}) regime and long-range ordered (LRO, T<T_{c}^{2}) regime at temperature T. We report that the dynamical scaling of the correlation function and structure factor is independent of ε and the presence of quenched disorder slows down domain coarsening. Coarsening dynamics in both LRO and QLRO regimes are further characterized by power-law growth with disorder-dependent exponents within our simulation timescales. The growth exponents in the LRO regime decrease from 0.5 in the pure case to 0.22 in the maximum disordered case, whereas the corresponding change in the QLRO regime happens from 0.45 to 0.38. We further explored the coarsening dynamics in the bond-diluted clock model and, in both the models, the effect of the disorder is more significant for the quench in the LRO regime compared to the QLRO regime.

Ordering kinetics in a q-state random-bond clock model: Role of vortices and interfaces

In this article, we present a Monte Carlo study of phase transition and coarsening dynamics in the nonconserved two-dimensional random-bond q-state clock model (RBCM) deriving from a pure clock model [Chatterjee et al., Phys. Rev. E 98, 032109 (2018)10.1103/PhysRevE.98.032109]. Akin to the pure clock model, RBCM also passes through two different phases when quenched from a disordered initial configuration representing at infinite temperature. Our investigation of the equilibrium phase transition affirms that both upper (T_{c}^{1}) and lower (T_{c}^{2}) phase transition temperatures decrease with bond randomness strength ε. Effect of ε on the nonequilibrium coarsening dynamics is investigated following independent rapid quenches in the quasi-long-range ordered (QLRO, T_{c}^{2}<T<T_{c}^{1}) regime and long-range ordered (LRO, T<T_{c}^{2}) regime at temperature T. We report that the dynamical scaling of the correlation function and structure factor is independent of ε and the presence of quenched disorder slows down domain coarsening. Coarsening dynamics in both LRO and QLRO regimes are further characterized by power-law growth with disorder-dependent exponents within our simulation timescales. The growth exponents in the LRO regime decrease from 0.5 in the pure case to 0.22 in the maximum disordered case, whereas the corresponding change in the QLRO regime happens from 0.45 to 0.38. We further explored the coarsening dynamics in the bond-diluted clock model and, in both the models, the effect of the disorder is more significant for the quench in the LRO regime compared to the QLRO regime.

Coarsening dynamics in the Vicsek model of active matter

We study the flocking model introduced by Vicsek et al. (Phys. Rev. Lett. 75, 1226 (1995)) in the "coarsening" regime. At standard self-propulsion speeds, we find two distinct growth laws for the coupled density and velocity fields. The characteristic length scale of the density domains grows as [Formula: see text] (with [Formula: see text] , while the velocity length scale grows much faster, viz., [Formula: see text] (with [Formula: see text] . The spatial fluctuations in the density and velocity fields are studied by calculating the two-point correlation function and the structure factor, which show deviations from the well-known Porod's law. This is a natural consequence of scattering from irregular morphologies that dynamically arise in the system. At large values of the scaled wave vector, the scaled structure factors for the density and velocity fields decay with powers -2.6 and -1.52 , respectively.

Approximate ground states of the random-field Potts model from graph cuts

While the ground-state problem for the random-field Ising model is polynomial, and can be solved using a number of well-known algorithms for maximum flow or graph cut, the analog random-field Potts model corresponds to a multiterminal flow problem that is known to be NP-hard. Hence an efficient exact algorithm is very unlikely to exist. As we show here, it is nevertheless possible to use an embedding of binary degrees of freedom into the Potts spins in combination with graph-cut methods to solve the corresponding ground-state problem approximately in polynomial time. We benchmark this heuristic algorithm using a set of quasiexact ground states found for small systems from long parallel tempering runs. For a not-too-large number q of Potts states, the method based on graph cuts finds the same solutions in a fraction of the time. We employ the new technique to analyze the breakup length of the random-field Potts model in two dimensions.

Random field Ising model in a uniform magnetic field: Ground states, pinned clusters and scaling laws

In this paper, we study the random field Ising model (RFIM) in an external magnetic field h . A computationally efficient graph-cut method is used to study ground state (GS) morphologies in this system for three different disorder types: Gaussian, uniform and bimodal. We obtain the critical properties of this system and find that they are independent of the disorder type. We also study GS morphologies via pinned-cluster distributions, which are scale-free at criticality. The spin-spin correlation functions (and structure factors) are characterized by a roughness exponent [Formula: see text]. The corresponding scaling function is universal for all disorder types and independent of h.

Effect of bond-disorder on the phase-separation kinetics of binary mixtures: A Monte Carlo simulation study

We present Monte Carlo (MC) simulation studies of phase separation in binary (AB) mixtures with bond-disorder that is introduced in two different ways: (i) at randomly selected lattice sites and (ii) at regularly selected sites. The Ising model with spin exchange (Kawasaki) dynamics represents the segregation kinetics in conserved binary mixtures. We find that the dynamical scaling changes significantly by varying the number of disordered sites in the case where bond-disorder is introduced at the randomly selected sites. On the other hand, when we introduce the bond-disorder in a regular fashion, the system follows the dynamical scaling for the modest number of disordered sites. For a higher number of disordered sites, the evolution morphology illustrates a lamellar pattern formation. Our MC results are consistent with the Lifshitz-Slyozov power-law growth in all the cases.

Random-field Ising model on isometric lattices: Ground states and non-Porod scattering

We use a computationally efficient graph cut method to obtain ground state morphologies of the random-field Ising model (RFIM) on (i) simple cubic (SC), (ii) body-centered cubic (BCC), and (iii) face-centered cubic (FCC) lattices. We determine the critical disorder strength Δ_{c} at zero temperature with high accuracy. For the SC lattice, our estimate (Δ_{c}=2.278±0.002) is consistent with earlier reports. For the BCC and FCC lattices, Δ_{c}=3.316±0.002 and 5.160±0.002, respectively, which are the most accurate estimates in the literature to date. The small-r behavior of the correlation function exhibits a cusp regime characterized by a cusp exponent α signifying fractal interfaces. In the paramagnetic phase, α=0.5±0.01 for all three lattices. In the ferromagnetic phase, the cusp exponent shows small variations due to the lattice structure. Consequently, the interfacial energy E_{i}(L) for an interface of size L is significantly different for the three lattices. This has important implications for nonequilibrium properties.

Order-parameter scaling in fluctuation-dominated phase ordering

In systems exhibiting fluctuation-dominated phase ordering, a single order parameter does not suffice to characterize the order, and it is necessary to monitor a larger set. For hard-core sliding particles on a fluctuating surface and the related coarse-grained depth (CD) models, this set comprises the long-wavelength Fourier components of the density profile, which capture the breakup and remerging of particle-rich regions. We study both static and dynamic scaling laws obeyed by the Fourier modes Q_{mL} and find that the mean value obeys the static scaling law 〈Q_{mL}〉∼L^{-ϕ}f(m/L) with ϕ≃2/3 and ϕ≃3/5 for Edwards-Wilkinson (EW) and Kardar-Parisi-Zhang (KPZ) surface evolution, respectively, and ϕ≃3/4 for the CD model. The full probability distribution P(Q_{mL}) exhibits scaling as well. Further, time-dependent correlation functions such as the steady-state autocorrelation and cross-correlations of order-parameter components are scaling functions of t/L^{z}, where L is the system size and z is the dynamic exponent, with z=2 for EW and z=3/2 for KPZ surface evolution. In addition we find that the CD model shows temporal intermittency, manifested in the dynamical structure functions of the density and the weak divergence of the flatness as the scaled time approaches 0.

Phase separation of fluids in porous media: a molecular dynamics study

We present comprehensive molecular dynamics results for phase-separation kinetics of fluids in a porous medium. This system is modeled by a symmetric Lennard-Jones fluid mixture with a quenched random field. The presence of disorder slows down domain growth from power-law to a logarithmic form. It also modifies the correlation functions and structure factors which characterize the morphology. In particular, the structure-factor tail shows a non-Porod behavior, which is the consequence of scattering from rough interfaces.