Critical wetting of a class of nonequilibrium interfaces: A computer simulation study

TL;DR

This study investigates critical wetting transitions in nonequilibrium interfaces using numerical and analytical methods based on a modified KPZ equation, revealing new critical behaviors and anomalous scaling effects.

Contribution

It provides a detailed characterization of critical wetting in nonequilibrium conditions, highlighting differences from mean-field predictions and identifying anomalous interface slope scaling.

Findings

Distinct critical exponents for height and order-parameter

Qualitative and quantitative deviations from mean-field theory

Evidence of anomalous scaling of interface slopes

Abstract

Critical wetting transitions under nonequilibrium conditions are studied numerically and analytically by means of an interface-displacement model defined by a Kardar-Parisi-Zhang equation, plus some extra terms representing a limiting, short-ranged attractive wall. Its critical behavior is characterized in detail by providing a set of exponents for both the average height and the surface order-parameter in one dimension. The emerging picture is qualitatively and quantitatively different from recently reported mean-field predictions for the same problem. Evidence is shown that the presence of the attractive wall induces an anomalous scaling of the interface local slopes.