Fractality in persistence decay and domain growth during ferromagnetic ordering: Dependence upon initial correlation

Disentangling growth and decay of domains during phase ordering

Using Monte Carlo simulations we study phase-ordering dynamics of a multispecies system modeled via the prototype q-state Potts model. In such a multispecies system, we identify a spin state or species as the winner if it has survived as the majority in the final state, otherwise, we mark them as loser. We disentangle the time (t) dependence of the domain length of the winner from losers, rather than monitoring the average domain length obtained by treating all spin states or species alike. The kinetics of domain growth of the winner at a finite temperature in space dimension d=2 reveal that the expected Lifshitz-Cahn-Allen scaling law ∼t^{1/2} can be realized with no early-time corrections, even for system sizes much smaller than what is traditionally used. Up to a certain period, all others species, i.e., the losers, also show a growth that, however, is dependent on the total number of species, and slower than the expected ∼t^{1/2} growth. Afterwards, the domains of the losers start decaying with time, for which our numerical data appear to be consistent with a ∼t^{-2} behavior. We also demonstrate that this approach of looking into the kinetics even provides new insights for the special case of phase ordering at zero temperature, both in d=2 and d=3.

Phase-ordering kinetics in the Allen-Cahn (Model A) class: Universal aspects elucidated by electrically induced transition in liquid crystals

The two-dimensional (2D) Ising model is the statistical physics textbook example for phase transitions and their kinetics. Quenched through the Curie point with Glauber rates, the late-time description of the ferromagnetic domain coarsening finds its place at the scalar sector of the Allen-Cahn (or Model A) class, which encompasses phase-ordering kinetics endowed with a nonconserved order parameter. Resisting exact results sought for theoreticians since Lifshitz's first account in 1962, the central quantities of 2D Model A-most scaling exponents and correlation functions-remain known up to approximate theories whose disparate outcomes urge experimental assessment. Here we perform such assessment based on a comprehensive study of the coarsening of 2D twisted nematic liquid crystals whose kinetics is induced by a superfast electrical switching from a spatiotemporally chaotic (disordered) state to a two-phase concurrent, equilibrium one. Tracking the dynamics via optical microscopy, we first show the sharp evidence of well-established Model A aspects, such as the dynamic exponent z=2 and the dynamic scaling hypothesis, to then move forward. We confirm the Bray-Humayun theory for Porod's regime describing intradomain length scales of the two-point spatial correlators and show that their nontrivial decay beyond the Porod's scale can be captured in a free-from-parameter fashion by Gaussian theories, namely the Ohta-Jasnow-Kawasaki (OJK) and Mazenko theories. Regarding time-related statistics, we corroborate the aging hypothesis in Model A systems, which includes the collapse of two-time correlators into a master curve whose format is, actually, best accounted for by a solution of the local scaling invariance theory: the same solution that fits the 2D nonconserved Ising model correlator along with the Fisher-Huse conjecture. We also suggest the true value for the local persistence exponent in Model A class, in disfavor of the exact outcome for the diffusion and OJK equations. Finally, we observe a fractal morphology for persistence clusters and extract their universal dimension. Given its accuracy and possibilities, this experimental setup may work as a prototype to address further universality issues in the realm of nonequilibrium systems.

Zero-temperature coarsening in the two-dimensional long-range Ising model

We investigate the nonequilibrium dynamics following a quench to zero temperature of the nonconserved Ising model with power-law decaying long-range interactions ∝1/r^{d+σ} in d=2 spatial dimensions. The zero-temperature coarsening is always of special interest among nonequilibrium processes, because often peculiar behavior is observed. We provide estimates of the nonequilibrium exponents, viz., the growth exponent α, the persistence exponent θ, and the fractal dimension d_{f}. It is found that the growth exponent α≈3/4 is independent of σ and different from α=1/2, as expected for nearest-neighbor models. In the large σ regime of the tunable interactions only the fractal dimension d_{f} of the nearest-neighbor Ising model is recovered, while the other exponents differ significantly. For the persistence exponents θ this is a direct consequence of the different growth exponents α as can be understood from the relation d-d_{f}=θ/α; they just differ by the ratio of the growth exponents ≈3/2. This relation has been proposed for annihilation processes and later numerically tested for the d=2 nearest-neighbor Ising model. We confirm this relation for all σ studied, reinforcing its general validity.

Should a hotter paramagnet transform quicker to a ferromagnet? Monte Carlo simulation results for Ising model

For quicker formation of ice, before inserting inside a refrigerator, heating up of a body of water can be beneficial. We report first observation of a counterpart of this intriguing fact, referred to as the Mpemba effect (ME), during ordering in ferromagnets. By performing Monte Carlo simulations of a generic model, we have obtained results on relaxation of systems that are quenched to sub-critical state points from various temperatures above the critical point. For a fixed final temperature, a system with higher starting temperature equilibrates faster than the one prepared at a lower temperature, implying the presence of ME. The observation is extremely counter-intuitive, particularly because of the fact that the model has no in-built frustration or metastability that typically is thought to provide ME. Via the calculations of nonequilibrium properties concerning structure and energy, we quantify the role of critical fluctuations behind this fundamental as well as technologically relevant observation.

Aging exponents for nonequilibrium dynamics following quenches from critical points

Via Monte Carlo simulations we study nonequilibrium dynamics in the nearest-neighbor Ising model, following quenches to points inside the ordered region of the phase diagram. With the broad objective of quantifying the nonequilibrium universality classes corresponding to spatially correlated and uncorrelated initial configurations, in this paper we present results for the decay of the order-parameter autocorrelation function for quenches from the critical point. This autocorrelation is an important probe for the aging dynamics in far-from-equilibrium systems and typically exhibits power-law scaling. From the state-of-the-art analysis of the simulation results, we quantify the corresponding exponents (λ) for both conserved and nonconserved (order-parameter) dynamics of the model in space dimension d=3. Via structural analysis we demonstrate that the exponents satisfy a bound. We also revisit the d=2 case to obtain more accurate results. It appears that irrespective of the dimension, λ is approximately the same for both conserved and nonconserved dynamics.

Initial correlation dependence of aging in phase separating solid binary mixtures and ordering ferromagnets

Following quenches of initial configurations having long range spatial correlations, prepared at the demixing critical point, to points inside the miscibility gap, we study aging phenomena in solid binary mixtures. Results on the decay of the two-time order-parameter autocorrelation functions, obtained from Monte Carlo simulations of the two-dimensional Ising model, with Kawasaki exchange kinetics, are analyzed via state-of-the art methods. The outcome is compared with that obtained for the ordering in uniaxial ferromagnets. For the latter, we have performed Monte Carlo simulations of the same model using the Glauber mechanism. For both types of systems we provide comparative discussion of our results with reference to those concerning quenches with configurations having no spatial correlation. We also discuss the role of structure on the decay of these correlations.

Phase transition and power-law coarsening in an Ising-doped voter model

We examine an opinion formation model, which is a mixture of Voter and Ising agents. Numerical simulations show that even a very small fraction (∼1%) of the Ising agents drastically changes the behavior of the Voter model. The Voter agents act as a medium, which correlates sparsely dispersed Ising agents, and the resulting ferromagnetic ordering persists up to a certain temperature. Upon addition of the Ising agents, a logarithmically slow coarsening of the Voter model (d=2), or its active steady state (d=3), change into an Ising-type power-law coarsening.

Zero-temperature coarsening in the Ising model with asymmetric second-neighbor interactions in two dimensions

We consider the zero-temperature coarsening in the Ising model in two dimensions where the spins interact within the Moore neighborhood. The Hamiltonian is given by H=-∑_{〈i,j〉}S_{i}S_{j}-κ∑_{〈i,j^{'}〉}S_{i}S_{j^{'}}, where the two terms are for the first neighbors and second neighbors, respectively, and κ≥0. The freezing phenomenon, already noted in two dimensions for κ=0, is seen to be present for any κ. However, the frozen states show more complicated structure as κ is increased; e.g., local antiferromagnetic motifs can exist for κ>2. Finite-sized systems also show the existence of an isoenergetic active phase for κ>2, which vanishes in the thermodynamic limit. The persistence probability shows universal behavior for κ>0; however, it is clearly different from the κ=0 results when a nonhomogeneous initial condition is considered. Exit probability shows universal behavior for all κ≥0. The results are compared with other models in two dimensions having interactions beyond the first neighbor.

Minority-spin dynamics in the nonhomogeneous Ising model: Diverging time scales and exponents

We investigate the dynamical behavior of the Ising model under a zero-temperature quench with the initial fraction of up spins 0≤x≤1. In one dimension, the known results for persistence probability are verified; it shows algebraic decay for both up and down spins asymptotically with different exponents. It is found that the conventional finite-size scaling is valid here. In two dimensions, however, the persistence probabilities are no longer algebraic; in particular for x≤0.5, persistence for the up (minority) spins shows the behavior P_{min}(t)∼t^{-γ}exp[-(t/τ)^{δ}] with time t, while for the down (majority) spins, P_{maj}(t) approaches a finite value. We find that the timescale τ diverges as (x_{c}-x)^{-λ}, where x_{c}=0.5 and λ≃2.31. The exponent γ varies as θ_{2d}+c_{0}(x_{c}-x)^{β} where θ_{2d}≃0.215 is very close to the persistence exponent in two dimensions; β≃1. The results in two dimensions can be understood qualitatively by studying the exit probability, which for different system size is found to have the form E(x)=f[(x-x_{c}/x_{c})L^{1/ν}], with ν≈1.47. This result suggests that τ∼L^{z[over ̃]}, where z[over ̃]=λ/ν=1.57±0.11 is an exponent not explored earlier.