Topological Defect Formation in a Phase Transition with Tunable Order

The Kibble-Zurek mechanism (KZM) describes the nonequilibrium dynamics and topological defect formation in systems undergoing second-order phase transitions. KZM has found applications in fields such as cosmology and condensed matter physics. However, it is generally not suitable for describing first-order phase transitions. It has been demonstrated that transitions in systems like superconductors or charged superfluids, typically classified as second order, can exhibit weakly first-order characteristics when the influence of fluctuations is taken into account. Moreover, the order of the phase transition (i.e., the extent to which it becomes first rather than second order) can be tuned. We explore quench-induced formation of topological defects in such tunable phase transitions and propose that their density can be predicted by combining KZM with nucleation theory.Received 18 December 2023Accepted 15 April 2024DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.132.241601© 2024 American Physical SocietyPhysics Subject Headings (PhySH)Research AreasFirst order phase transitionsNucleationSecond order phase transitionsTopological defectsCondensed Matter, Materials & Applied PhysicsGravitation, Cosmology & AstrophysicsInterdisciplinary Physics