Critical dynamics of gauge systems: Spontaneous vortex formation in 2D superconductors

Abstract

We examine the formation of vortices during the nonequilibrium relaxation of a high-temperature initial state of an Abelian-Higgs system. We equilibrate the scalar and gauge fields using gauge-invariant Langevin equations and relax the system by instantaneously removing thermal fluctuations. For couplings near critical we observe the formation of large clusters of like-sign magnetic vortices. Their appearance has implications for the dynamics of the phase transition, for the observed distribution of topological defects and for late-time phase ordering kinetics. We offer explanations for both the observed vortex densities and vortex configurations.

4 pages, 6 figures, RevTex. Moderate rewriting with added references. Main conclusions unchanged

Cited by in corpus (37)

• Inflation Dynamics and Reheating
• Universality of Phase Transition Dynamics: Topological Defects from Symmetry Breaking
• Formation and evolution of cosmic D-strings
• Entropy of entanglement and correlations induced by a quench: Dynamics of a quantum phase transition in the quantum Ising model
• Kibble-Zurek Mechanism in a Spin-1 Bose-Einstein Condensate
• Structural defects in ion crystals by quenching the external potential: the inhomogeneous Kibble-Zurek mechanism
• Causality in Condensates: Grey Solitons as Remnants of BEC Formation
• Phase separation and pattern formation in a binary Bose-Einstein condensate
• Non-equilibrium Condensation Process in a Holographic Superconductor
• Spontaneous nucleation of structural defects in inhomogeneous ion chains
• Dynamics of an inhomogeneous quantum phase transition
• Dynamical delocalization of Majorana edge states by sweeping across a quantum critical point
• Inhomogeneous Kibble-Zurek mechanism: vortex nucleation during Bose-Einstein condensation
• Kibble-Zurek Mechanism and Finite-Time Scaling
• Phase Transition in Space: How Far Does a Symmetry Bend Before It Breaks?
• Theory of Driven Nonequilibrium Critical Phenomena
• Topological relics of symmetry breaking: Winding numbers and scaling tilts from random vortex-antivortex pairs
• Adiabatic dynamics of an inhomogeneous quantum phase transition: the case of z > 1 dynamical exponent
• Spontaneous vortex formation on a superconductor film
• Measuring Cosmic Defect Correlations in Liquid Crystals
• Dynamics of a quantum phase transition with decoherence: the quantum Ising chain in a static spin environment
• Kibble-Zurek mechanism beyond adiabaticity: Finite-time scaling with critical initial slip
• Estimation of vortex density after superconducting film quench
• Three-dimensional Abelian and non-Abelian gauge Higgs theories
• Holographic topological defects and local gauge symmetry: clusters of strongly coupled equal-sign vortices
• Cosmic string formation by flux trapping
• Peristaltic modes of single vortex in the Abelian Higgs model
• Critical relaxational dynamics at the continuous transitions of three-dimensional spin models with ${\mathbb{Z}}_2$ gauge symmetry
• Super-horizon cosmic string correlations
• Vortex dynamics in nonrelativistic Abelian Higgs model
• Proximity effect and spatial Kibble-Zurek mechanism in atomic Fermi gases with inhomogeneous pairing interactions
• Nucleation of Superconductivity in Thin Type-I Foils
• Kibble-Zurek mechanism in quantum link model
• Is there Kibble-Zurek scaling of topological defects in first-order phase transitions?
• Fluxoid formation: size effects and non-equilibrium universality
• The Stochastic Gross-Pitaevskii Methodology
• Structure and scaling of Kitaev chain across a quantum critical point in real space