Symmetry breaking and phase coexistence in a driven diffusive two-channel system

Area of Science:

• Statistical Mechanics
• Condensed Matter Physics
• Many-Body Systems

Background:

• Classical hard-core particles exhibit complex behaviors in confined systems.
• Understanding particle dynamics on parallel chains is crucial for transport phenomena.
• Interactions between channels influence system-wide phase transitions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the stationary state and phase diagram of classical hard-core particles on two parallel chains.
• To analyze the effect of inter-chain hopping rates on particle distribution.
• To identify and characterize novel phase regions beyond known one-channel behaviors.

Main Methods:

• Analytical and numerical investigations of particle dynamics.
• Modeling particle hopping between parallel chains and coupling to reservoirs.
• Determination of stationary state properties and probability distributions.

Main Results:

• Identified two new phase regions in the particle system.
• Discovered a phase where total density is constant, but individual chain densities oscillate.
• Characterized a universal probability distribution for this novel phase, favoring disparate chain fillings.

Conclusions:

• The two-chain system exhibits richer phase behavior than single-chain models.
• The identified novel phase demonstrates unique density redistribution mechanisms.
• The universal probability distribution provides fundamental insights into non-equilibrium statistical mechanics.