Memory and aging effects in interacting sub-10 nm nanomagnets with large uniaxial anisotropy

Using a nonequilibrium Monte Carlo method suitable to nanomagnetism, we investigate representative systems of interacting sub-10 nm grained nanomagnets with large uniaxial anisotropy. Various magnetization memory and aging effects are found in such systems. We explain these dynamical effects using the distributed relaxation times of the interacting nanomagnets due to their large anisotropy energies.     

金属超微粒子-半导体薄膜的光学瞬态响应

利用飞秒脉冲激光和泵浦 探测技术测量了金属超微粒子 半导体复合薄膜Ａｇ-ＢａＯ的瞬态光学透过率随延迟时间的变化曲线，观察到了薄膜对光的吸收漂白现象，并在不到２ｐｓ时间内恢复．该现象是薄膜中金属超微粒子内费密能级附近电子被飞秒激光脉冲激发，产生非平衡电子而经历瞬态弛豫造成的．弛豫主要包括非平衡电子越过超微粒子和周围介质的界面位垒进入周围介质，以及非平衡电子同晶格和界面的散射两种过程．超微粒子粒径的差别会引起非平衡电子弛豫时间的差别 关键词：     

Non-equilibrium phenomena and molecular reaction dynamics: mode space,energy space and conformer space

The ability to characterise and control matter far away from equilibrium is a frontier challenge facing modern science. In this article, we sketch out a heuristic structure for thinking about the different ways in which non-equilibrium phenomena can impact molecular reaction dynamics. Our analytical schema includes three different regimes, organised according to increasing dynamical resolution: at the lowest resolution, we have conformer phase space, at an intermediate resolution, we have energy space; and at the highest resolution, we have mode space. Within each regime, we discuss practical definitions of non-equilibrium phenomena, mostly in terms of the corresponding relaxation timescales. Using this analytical framework, we discuss some recent non-equilibrium reaction dynamics studies spanning isolated small-molecule ensembles, gas-phase ensembles and solution-phase ensembles. This includes new results that provide insight into how non-equilibrium phenomena impact the solution-phase alkene–hydroboration reaction. We emphasise that interesting non-equilibrium dynamical phenomena often occur when the relaxation timescales characterising each regime are similar. In closing, we reflect on outstanding challenges and future research directions to guide our understanding of how non-equilibrium phenomena impact reaction dynamics.     

Dynamical chaos in the Lorentz lattice gas

This paper provides an introduction to the applications of dynamical systems theory to nonequilibrium statistical mechanics, in particular to a study of nonequilibrium phenomena in Lorentz lattice gases with stochastic collision rules. Using simple arguments, based upon discussions in the mathematical literature, we show that such lattice gases belong to the category of dynamical systems with positive Lyapunov exponents. This is accomplished by showing how such systems can be expressed in terms of continuous phase space variables. Expressions for the Lyapunov exponent of a one-dimensional Lorentz lattice gas with periodic boundaries are derived. Other quantities of interest for the theory of irreversible processes are discussed.     

The kinetics of low-temperature electron-phonon relaxation in a metallic film following instantaneous heating of the electrons

The theoretical analysis of experiments on pulsed laser irradiation of metallic films sputtered on insulating supports is usually based on semiphenomenological dynamical equations for the electron and phonon temperatures, an approach that ignores the nonuniformity and the nonthermal nature of the phonon distribution function. In this paper we discuss a microscopic model that describes the dynamics of the electron-phonon system in terms of kinetic equations for the electron and phonon distribution functions. Such a model provides a microscopic picture of the nonlinear energy relaxation of the electron-phonon system of a rapidly heated film. We find that in a relatively thick film the energy relaxation of electrons consists of three stages: the emission of nonequilibrium phonons by “hot” electrons, the thermalization of electrons and phonons due to phonon reabsorption, and finally the cooling of the thermalized electron-phonon system as a result of phonon exchange between film and substrate. In thin films, where there is no reabsorption of nonequilibrium phonons, the energy relaxation consists of only one stage, the first. The relaxation dynamics of an experimentally observable quantity, the phonon contribution to the electrical conductivity of the cooling film, is directly related to the dynamics of the electron temperature, which makes it possible to use the data of experiments on the relaxation of voltage across films to establish the electron-phonon and phonon-electron collision times and the average time of phonon escape from film to substrate. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 111, 2106–2133 (June 1997)     

Influence of surface relaxation on the surface vibrational modes of some ionic crystals

In this paper we evaluate the effects of surface relaxation on the surface vibrational modes of the (001) surfaces of NaCl, NaI and MgO, using bulk shell models which have been modified to allow for distance dependence of the short-range interactions. It is found that these dynamical shell models do not lead to convergent results for the static surface relaxation. In spite of this inconsistency, it is found that surface relaxation gives rise to a new structure of relaxationinduced surface modes, which is common to the three crystals and independent of the details of the relaxation. By using assumed (convergent) relaxation configurations for the MgO (001) surface it is shown that relaxation can account for the high-frequency peak in the surface-excess density of vibrational states of MgO, as found in inelastic neutron scattering experiments on MgO microcrystals. In general, surface relaxation has a profound effect on surface vibrational phenomena, and better shell models will have to be developed to deal with the static and dynamical surface phenomena in a consistent fashion.     

Hamiltonian dynamics,nanosystems, and nonequilibrium statistical mechanics

An overview is given of recent advances in nonequilibrium statistical mechanics on the basis of the theory of Hamiltonian dynamical systems and in the perspective provided by the nanosciences. It is shown how the properties of relaxation toward a state of equilibrium can be derived from Liouville's equation for Hamiltonian dynamical systems. The relaxation rates can be conceived in terms of the so-called Pollicott–Ruelle resonances. In spatially extended systems, the transport coefficients can also be obtained from the Pollicott–Ruelle resonances. The Liouvillian eigenstates associated with these resonances are in general singular and present fractal properties. The singular character of the nonequilibrium states is shown to be at the origin of the positive entropy production of nonequilibrium thermodynamics. Furthermore, large-deviation dynamical relationships are obtained, which relate the transport properties to the characteristic quantities of the microscopic dynamics such as the Lyapunov exponents, the Kolmogorov–Sinai entropy per unit time, and the fractal dimensions. We show that these large-deviation dynamical relationships belong to the same family of formulas as the fluctuation theorem, as well as a new formula relating the entropy production to the difference between an entropy per unit time of Kolmogorov–Sinai type and a time-reversed entropy per unit time. The connections to the nonequilibrium work theorem and the transient fluctuation theorem are also discussed. Applications to nanosystems are described.     

Nonlinear and nonequilibrium dynamics in geomaterials

The transition from linear to nonlinear dynamical elasticity in rocks is of considerable interest in seismic wave propagation as well as in understanding the basic dynamical processes in consolidated granular materials. We have carried out a careful experimental investigation of this transition for Berea and Fontainebleau sandstones. Below a well-characterized strain, the materials behave linearly, transitioning beyond that point to a nonlinear behavior which can be accurately captured by a simple macroscopic dynamical model. At even higher strains, effects due to a driven nonequilibrium state, and relaxation from it, complicate the characterization of the nonlinear behavior.     

Monotonic return to steady nonequilibrium

We propose and analyze a new candidate Lyapunov function for relaxation towards general nonequilibrium steady states. The proposed functional is obtained from the large time asymptotics of time-symmetric fluctuations. For driven Markov jump or diffusion processes it measures an excess in dynamical activity rates. We present numerical evidence and we report on a rigorous argument for its monotonic time dependence close to the steady nonequilibrium or in general after a long enough time. This is in contrast with the behavior of approximate Lyapunov functions based on entropy production that when driven far from equilibrium often keep exhibiting temporal oscillations even close to stationarity.     

Sherrington-Kirkpatric自旋玻璃模型的非平衡态性质

通过动力学蒙特卡罗模拟对Sherrington-Kirkpatric （SK）自旋玻璃模型进行研究. 结果表明,弱场下自旋玻璃的磁化率在转变点非常陡峭,而比热容则呈现比较宽的转变. 同时,也成功地模拟了自旋玻璃体的年龄效应和记忆效应. 通过模拟发现,不同的弛豫时间对系统的能量影响很大,这直接导致了年龄效应和记忆效应;各向同性的SK模型不能给出实验中的交换偏移现象. 关键词： 自旋玻璃 记忆效应 年龄效应 磁化率     

Hydrodynamic and Thermodynamic Nonequilibrium Effects around Shock Waves: Based on a Discrete Boltzmann Method

A shock wave that is characterized by sharp physical gradients always draws the medium out of equilibrium. In this work, both hydrodynamic and thermodynamic nonequilibrium effects around the shock wave are investigated using a discrete Boltzmann model. Via Chapman–Enskog analysis, the local equilibrium and nonequilibrium velocity distribution functions in one-, two-, and three-dimensional velocity space are recovered across the shock wave. Besides, the absolute and relative deviation degrees are defined in order to describe the departure of the fluid system from the equilibrium state. The local and global nonequilibrium effects, nonorganized energy, and nonorganized energy flux are also investigated. Moreover, the impacts of the relaxation frequency, Mach number, thermal conductivity, viscosity, and the specific heat ratio on the nonequilibrium behaviours around shock waves are studied. This work is helpful for a deeper understanding of the fine structures of shock wave and nonequilibrium statistical mechanics.     

Nonequilibrium photo dynamics of low-dimensional strongly correlated electron systems

One of the outstanding contemporary challenges in condensed matter physics is to understand the dynamics of interacting quantum systems exposed to an external perturbation. We theoretically examine nonequilibrium photo dynamics and its interplay of charge, spin, and lattice degrees of freedom on a Hubbard-Holstein chain in one dimension and a t-J-Holstein square lattice in two dimensions. In the chain, performing dynamical density-matrix renormalization group calculations, we find that many phonons generated dynamically after photo irradiation in Mott insulators cause initial relaxation process. On the other hand, in the square lattice with model parameters as relevant for cuprates, a Lanczos-type exact diagonalization calculation shows that the majority of absorbed energy flows into spin subsystem rather than phonon subsystem.     

Thermodynamics based on the principle of least abbreviated action: Entropy production in a network of coupled oscillators

We present some novel thermodynamic ideas based on the Maupertuis principle. By considering Hamiltonians written in terms of appropriate action-angle variables we show that thermal states can be characterized by the action variables and by their evolution in time when the system is nonintegrable. We propose dynamical definitions for the equilibrium temperature and entropy as well as an expression for the nonequilibrium entropy valid for isolated systems with many degrees of freedom. This entropy is shown to increase in the relaxation to equilibrium of macroscopic systems with short-range interactions, which constitutes a dynamical justification of the Second Law of Thermodynamics. Several examples are worked out to show that this formalism yields the right microcanonical (equilibrium) quantities. The relevance of this approach to nonequilibrium situations is illustrated with an application to a network of coupled oscillators (Kuramoto model). We provide an expression for the entropy production in this system finding that its positive value is directly related to dissipation at the steady state in attaining order through synchronization.     

Nonequilibrium wetting transition in a nonthermal 2D Ising model

Nonequilibrium wetting transitions are observed in Monte Carlo simulations of a kinetic spin system in the absence of a detailed balance condition with respect to an energy functional. A nonthermal model is proposed starting from a two-dimensional Ising spin lattice at zero temperature with two boundaries subject to opposing surface fields. Local spin excitations are only allowed by absorbing an energy quantum (photon) below a cutoff energy E _c . Local spin relaxation takes place by emitting a photon which leaves the lattice. Using Monte Carlo simulation nonequilibrium critical wetting transitions are observed as well as nonequilibrium first-order wetting phenomena, respectively in the absence or presence of absorbing states of the spin system. The transitions are identified from the behavior of the probability distribution of a suitably chosen order parameter that was proven useful for studying wetting in the (thermal) Ising model.     

Aging in the glass phase of a two-dimensional random periodic elastic system

Using the renormalization group method we investigate the nonequilibrium relaxation of the (Cardy-Ostlund) 2D random sine-Gordon model, which describes pinned arrays of lines. Its statics exhibit a marginal (theta = 0) glass phase for T < Tg described by a line of fixed points. We obtain the universal scaling functions for two-time dynamical response and correlations near Tg for various initial conditions, as well as the autocorrelation exponent. The fluctuation dissipation ratio is found to be nontrivial and continuously dependent on T.     

Bose-Einstein condensation in complex networks.

The evolution of many complex systems, including the World Wide Web, business, and citation networks, is encoded in the dynamic web describing the interactions between the system's constituents. Despite their irreversible and nonequilibrium nature these networks follow Bose statistics and can undergo Bose-Einstein condensation. Addressing the dynamical properties of these nonequilibrium systems within the framework of equilibrium quantum gases predicts that the "first-mover-advantage," "fit-get-rich," and "winner-takes-all" phenomena observed in competitive systems are thermodynamically distinct phases of the underlying evolving networks.     

Memory effects in vibrated granular systems: Response properties in the generalized random sequential adsorption model

We investigate, by numerical simulation, the dynamical response of a granular system to an abrupt change in shaking intensity within the framework of the reversible random sequential adsorption models. We analyse the two-dimensional lattice model in which, in addition to the adsorption-desorption process, there is diffusion of the adsorbed particles on the surface. Our model reproduces qualitatively the densification kinetics and the memory effects of vibrated granular materials. An interpretation of the simulation results is provided by the analysis of the insertion probability function. The importance of the diffusional relaxation is discussed. We conclude that a complex time-evolution of the density could be explained as a consequence of the variation of the diffusion rate during the compaction. We study the nonequilibrium time-dependent density-density autocorrelation function and show that the model displays out-of-equilibrium dynamical effects such as aging.