Velocity-force characteristics of an interface driven through a periodic potential

Abstract

We study the creep dynamics of a two-dimensional interface driven through a periodic potential using dynamical renormalization group methods. We find that the nature of weak-drive transport depends qualitatively on whether the temperature $T$ is above or below the equilibrium roughening transition temperature $T_c$. Above $T_c$, the velocity-force characteristics is Ohmic, with linear mobility exhibiting a jump discontinuity across the transition. For $T\le T_c$, the transport is highly nonlinear, exhibiting an interesting crossover in temperature and weak external force $F$. For intermediate drive, $F>F_{\ast }$, we find near $T_c^{-}$ a power-law velocity-force characteristics $v(F)\sim F^{\sigma }$, with $\sigma -1\propto \tilde{t}$, and well-below $T_c$, $v(F)\sim e^{-(F_{\ast }/F{)}^{2\tilde{t}}}$, with $\tilde{t}=(1-T/T_c)$. In the limit of vanishing drive ($F\ll F_{\ast }$) the velocity-force characteristics crosses over to $v(F)\sim e^{-(F_0/F)}$, and is controlled by soliton nucleation.

18 pages, submitted to Phys. Rev. B

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