Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: We investigate the nonequilibrium development of orientational order in a two-dimensional stripe-forming magnetic system with competing interactions. Following a quench into the stripe-ordered regime, horizontal and vertical stripes organize into orientational regions(super-domains) separated by characteristic defects. We show that the evolution towards a globally oriented stripe state is mediated by the motion and elimination of these defects, with T-junctions providing a direct microscopic measure of super-domain reorganization. The T-junction population reveals distinct dynamical regimes associated with super-domain formation, growth, and equilibration. Temperature, system size, and equilibrium stripe width modify the characteristic time scales of this evolution, while thermal fluctuations produce a finite defect population at higher temperatures. We further show that the defect dynamics observed in real space are reflected in the structure factor, providing a reciprocal-space signature of defect elimination. These results establish a microscopic defect-based description of orientational ordering in stripe-forming magnetic systems.
Source: arXiv (Cornell University)
Institution: University of Manitoba
Language: English
Subfield: Condensed Matter Physics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Awards: G1076064717, G1193727667
OpenAlex ID: W7213932416