Kardar-Parisi-Zhang interfaces bounded by long-ranged potentials

TL;DR

This paper investigates non-equilibrium KPZ interface unbinding transitions influenced by long-range potentials, comparing them with equilibrium wetting and short-range non-equilibrium systems to classify their universality.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive analysis of unbinding transitions in KPZ interfaces with long-range substrates, extending understanding beyond short-range and equilibrium cases.

Findings

Identifies four physical scenarios based on substrate and nonlinearity types.

Classifies unbinding transitions into distinct universality classes.

Highlights the relevance of these transitions in anisotropic wetting and growth processes.

Abstract

We study unbinding transitions of a non-equilibrium Kardar-Parisi-Zhang (KPZ) interface in the presence of long-ranged substrates. Both attractive and repulsive substrates, as well as positive and negative Kardar-Parisi-Zhang nonlinearities, are considered, leading to four different physical situations. A detailed comparison with equilibrium wetting transitions as well as with non-equilibrium unbinding transitions in systems with short-ranged forces is presented, yielding a comprehensive picture of unbinding transitions, and of their classification into universality classes. These non-equilibrium transitions may play a crucial role in the dynamics of wetting or growth of systems with intrinsic anisotropies.