Unlocking mechanism in the ac dynamics of the Frenkel-Kontorova model

Journal Article · Wed Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1993 · Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.48.7434· OSTI ID:6023376

Falo, F; Floria, L M; Martinez, P J; Mazo, J J ^[1]

---

1. Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Aragon, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza (Spain)

The dissipative dynamics of commensurate structures of the one-dimensional Frenkel-Kontorova model submitted to dc and ac forces is studied. The average velocity varies with the average external force as a staircase (dynamical mode locking). We characterize the unlocking transition as a transition from temporal periodicity to quasiperiodicity by using standard tools of the theory of dynamical systems. This transition is phenomenologically described as the generation of coherent, time-localized, and regularly-distributed increases of the particle velocities (instantons), which carry out a topological charge, the origin of which is the discrete character of the symmetry group of transformations of the locked steady state.

• OSTI ID: 6023376
• Journal Information: Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter; (United States), Vol. 48:10; ISSN 0163-1829
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
CRYSTAL MODELS
DYNAMICS
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
INSTANTONS
JOSEPHSON JUNCTIONS
ONE-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
TYPE-II SUPERCONDUCTORS
JUNCTIONS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MECHANICS
QUASI PARTICLES
SIMULATION
SUPERCONDUCTING JUNCTIONS
SUPERCONDUCTORS
665000* - Physics of Condensed Matter- (1992-)