Zero-Temperature Freezing in Three-Dimensional Kinetic Ising Model

TL;DR

This paper studies the zero-temperature dynamics of the 3D kinetic Ising model, revealing complex domain structures, persistent spin fluctuations, and intricate energy relaxation behaviors.

Contribution

It uncovers novel phenomena such as highly interpenetrating domains, blinker spins, and exponential energy relaxation time scales in the 3D Ising-Glauber model.

Findings

Domains are highly interpenetrating and topologically complex.

Presence of 'blinker' spins that flip indefinitely without energy cost.

Energy relaxation exhibits multiple time scales, with the longest growing exponentially with system size.

Abstract

We investigate the long-time properties of the Ising-Glauber model on a periodic cubic lattice after a quench to zero temperature. In contrast to the conventional picture from phase-ordering kinetics, we find: (i) Domains at long time are highly interpenetrating and topologically complex, with average genus growing algebraically with system size. (ii) The long-time state is almost never static, but rather contains "blinker" spins that can flip ad infinitum with no energy cost. (iii) The energy relaxation has a complex time dependence with multiple characteristic time scales, the longest of which grows exponentially with system size.