Nonthermal order by disorder

Newton, vol. 1, pp. 100169

Abstract

The quench dynamics of systems exhibiting cooperative or almost competitive orders in equilibrium are explored using Ginzburg-Landau theory plus fluctuations. We show that when the renormalization of the free energy by fluctuations is taken into account, anisotropic stiffnesses and relaxation rates of the order parameters can lead to a stabilization of ordered states at transient free energy minima which are distinct from any (global or local) minima of the equilibrium free energy. This theory demonstrates that nonequilibrium fluctuations play a pivotal role in forming nonthermal orders. As nonthermal order and nonthermal fluctuations mutually stabilize each other over some time, this mechanism could be seen as a nonequilibrium variant of the order-by-disorder phenomenon. We discuss the potential relevance of these findings for systems with intertwined orders, such as superconductivity and density wave orders, relevant for high-temperature superconductors and the kagome metals, as well as for systems that show orbital ordering.

Authors 5

1. Francesco Grandi Aachen Institute for Theory of Statistical Physics

   University of Würzburg · Complexity, Topology and Dynamics in Quantum Matter · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Institut für Theoretische Physik und Astrophysik and Würzburg-Dresden Cluster of Excellence ct.qmat, Universität Würzburg, 97074 Würzburg, Germany

   Institute for Theory of Statistical Physics, RWTH Aachen University, 52056 Aachen, Germany

2. Antonio Picano

   Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Collège de France · Université Paris Sciences et Lettres · Jeunes équipes de l'Institut de Physique du Collège de France

   Affiliation as printed

   JEIP, UAR 3573 CNRS, Collège de France, PSL Research University, 11 Place Marcelin Berthelot, 75321 Paris, France

3. Ronny Thomale

   University of Würzburg · Complexity, Topology and Dynamics in Quantum Matter

   Affiliation as printed

   Institut für Theoretische Physik und Astrophysik and Würzburg-Dresden Cluster of Excellence ct.qmat, Universität Würzburg, 97074 Würzburg, Germany

4. Dante Marvin Kennes Aachen Institute for Theory of Statistical Physics

   Jülich Aachen Research Alliance · Center for Free-Electron Laser Science · Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute for Theory of Statistical Physics, RWTH Aachen University, 52056 Aachen, Germany

   JARA-Fundamentals of Future Information Technology, 52056 Aachen, Germany

   Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter, Center for Free-Electron Laser Science (CFEL), Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg, Germany

5. MARTIN C. ECKSTEIN

   Universität Hamburg · Hamburg Centre for Ultrafast Imaging

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Theoretical Physics, University of Hamburg, 20355 Hamburg, Germany

   The Hamburg Centre for Ultrafast Imaging, Hamburg, Germany