Dynamical phase transitions in the current distribution of driven diffusive channels

Yongjoo Baek (1) , Yariv Kafri (2) , Vivien Lecomte (3)

1 DAMTP - Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics
2 Department of Physics [Haifa]
3 LIPhy - Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire de Physique [Saint Martin d’Hères]

We study singularities in the large deviation function of the time-averaged current of diffusive systems connected to two reservoirs. A set of conditions for the occurrence of phase transitions, both first and second order, are obtained by deriving Landau theories. First-order transitions occur in the absence of a particle-hole symmetry, while second-order occur in its presence and are associated with a symmetry breaking. The analysis is done in two distinct statistical ensembles, shedding light on previous results. In addition, we also provide an exact solution of a model exhibiting a second-order symmetry-breaking transition.

Mots clés: theory; Landau; current fluctuations; large deviations in nonequilibrium systems; dynamical phase transitions; driven diffusive; macroscopic fluctuation theory; systems; fluctuating hydrodynamics

Domaines: Mécanique statistique [cond-mat.stat-mech]; Physique mathématique [math-ph]

Yongjoo Baek, Yariv Kafri, Vivien Lecomte. Dynamical phase transitions in the current distribution of driven diffusive channels. Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical, 2018, 51 (10), pp.105001. ⟨10.1088/1751-8121/aaa8f9⟩. ⟨hal-01718969⟩