Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking for Driven Interacting Particles on Triangular Substrates

TL;DR

This paper investigates how driven interacting particles on triangular substrates exhibit spontaneous symmetry breaking, leading to ordered flow in directions not aligned with the drive and resulting in unique dynamical phases and hysteresis.

Contribution

It reveals the occurrence of spontaneous symmetry breaking and associated dynamical phase transitions in driven particle systems on triangular substrates, a novel insight into their collective behavior.

Findings

Particles flow in non-drive directions due to symmetry breaking

Ordered flow occurs in certain directions, disordered along the drive

Presence of hysteresis and dynamical phase transitions

Abstract

For collectively interacting repulsive particles driven on triangular substrates, we show that for certain directions of drive a spontaneous symmetry breaking phenomena occurs where the particles can flow in one of two directions that are not aligned with the external drive, giving rise to a positive or negative Hall current. Along these directions, the particle flow is highly ordered, while in the direction of the drive the flow is disordered. We also find a number of dynamical phase transitions and unusual hysteretic properties that arise due to the symmetry breaking properties of the flows.