Dynamical transitions of a driven Ising interface

Abstract

We study the structure of an interface in a three-dimensional Ising system created by an external nonuniform field H(r,t). H changes sign over a two-dimensional plane of arbitrary orientation. When the field is pulled with velocity ve, [i.e., H(r,t)=H(r-vt)], the interface undergoes several dynamical transitions. For low velocities it is pinned by the field profile and moves along with it, the distribution of local slopes undergoing a series of commensurate-incommensurate transitions. For large vthe interface depins and grows with Kardar-Parisi-Zhang exponents.