Self-organizing domain structure in a driven lattice gas

TL;DR

This paper investigates how a driven lattice gas with repulsive interactions self-organizes into a polydomain structure under an electric field, challenging traditional equilibrium views through Monte Carlo simulations.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of self-organizing domain structures in a non-equilibrium lattice gas model driven by an electric field, providing new insights into pattern formation.

Findings

Stable polydomain structures observed at low temperatures.

Domain structures depend on temperature, field strength, and system size.

Revision of traditional equilibrium-based understanding of such systems.

Abstract

Instead of the homogeneous ordered particle distributions characteristic to equilibrium systems a self-organizing polydomain structure is found to be stable at low temperatures in a square lattice-gas model with repulsive nearest neighbor interaction when the particle jumps are biased by a uniform electric field. We have performed Monte Carlo simulations to study the domain structure varying the temperatures, fields and system sizes. Revision of the traditional picture on this system raises interesting problems as discussed.