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Emergent Bistability and Switching in a Nonequilibrium Crystal
Guram Gogia1, Justin C Burton1
1Department of Physics, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA.
Physical Review Letters
|December 9, 2017
Summary
Global bistability can occur in systems without bistable elements. This study demonstrates switching between crystalline and gaslike states in charged microparticles, driven by non-equilibrium dynamics.
Area of Science:
- Nonlinear dynamics
- Statistical physics
- Soft matter physics
Background:
- Multistability is common in non-equilibrium systems, often involving bistable elements and stochastic switching.
- Previous understanding suggested bistable elements were necessary for global bistability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate global bistability in systems lacking intrinsic bistable elements.
- To demonstrate novel switching dynamics in a quasi-two-dimensional charged microparticle system.
Main Methods:
- Experimental observation of temporal switching in a charged microparticle system.
- Numerical simulations incorporating conservative forces, damping, and stochastic noise.
Main Results:
- Observed temporal switching between crystalline and gaslike states in a spatially extended system.
- Demonstrated that conservative forces, damping, and noise suffice to prevent equilibrium.
- Identified switching timescales ranging from seconds to hours.
Conclusions:
- Global bistability can arise in non-equilibrium systems without relying on bistable elements.
- The interplay of conservative forces, damping, and stochastic noise drives emergent switching behaviors.
- This finding expands the understanding of multistability in complex physical systems.
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