Much like how water turns into ice, some matter undergoes phase transitions that give them fascinating properties, making the transformation quite interesting. Aluminum, for example, transforms into a superconductor just above absolute zero, while helium isotopes change from gas to superfluid. A foundational principle known as the Kibble-Zurek mechanism (KZM) explains how these materials behave as they cool at different rates. Liquid helium in superfluid phase.
CONTRIBUTED IMAGE BY UPD-CS/ ALFRED LEITNER KZM has been largely validated for closed systems, or systems confined to the effects of the environment. However, whether the mechanism applies in more realistic scenarios where the environment is at play remains unclear. New research by University of the Philippines Diliman (UPD) physicists proves that KZM is applicable to a general class of open systems. Moreover, they uncovered subtleties in how phase transitions are studied in laboratories, illuminating possibilities for more precise experiments in condensed matter physics. 'Our work provides a new perspective on how we detect and identify phase transitions in realistic setups, in which their interaction with the environment gives us little control over how they will evolve in time,' Jayson Cosme and Roy Jara Jr. of the UPD College of Science National Institute of Physics (CS NIP) said. In glassblowing, hot glass is placed in annealers to slow down the cooling process and prevent cracks, while some are briefly dipped in water to create a crackled look. This is similar to materials that follow the KZM: those cooled slowly become homogeneous, while those cooled quickly result in more cracks or 'topological defects.' In their research, Cosme and Jara investigated an open system where the cooling rate, or quench speed, is influenced by the environment. 'We found that for these systems, KZM remains valid when the tuning parameter that controls the phase of the system is modified sufficiently slowly,' the researchers said
Kibble-Zurek Mechanism Phase Transitions Open Systems Condensed Matter Physics Cooling Rates
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