Stefano Iubini

Discrete breathers and negative-temperature states

We explore the statistical behaviour of the discrete nonlinear Schr¨ odinger equation as a test bed for the observation of negative-temperature (i.e. above infinite temperature) states in Bose-Einstein condensates in optical lattices and arrays of optical waveguides. By monitoring the microcanonical temperature, we show that there exists a parameter region where the system evolves towards a state characterized by a finite density of discrete breathers and a negative temperature. Such a state persists over very long (astronomical) times since the convergence to equilibrium becomes increasingly slower as a consequence of a coarsening process. We also discuss two possible mechanisms for the generation of negative-temperature states in experimental setups, namely, the introduction of boundary dissipations and the free expansion of wavepackets initially in equilibrium at a positive temperature.

Boundary-Induced Instabilities in Coupled Oscillators

A novel class of nonequilibrium phase transitions at zero temperature is found in chains of nonlinear oscillators. For two paradigmatic systems, the Hamiltonian XY model and the discrete nonlinear Schrödinger equation, we find that the application of boundary forces induces two synchronized phases, separated by a nontrivial interfacial region where the kinetic temperature is finite. Dynamics in such a supercritical state displays anomalous chaotic properties whereby some observables are nonextensive and transport is superdiffusive. At finite temperatures, the transition is smoothed, but the temperature profile is still nonmonotonic.

Coupled transport in rotor models

Acknowledgement One of us (AP) wishes to acknowledge S. Flach for enlightening discussions about the relationship between the DNLS equation and the rotor model.

Transport of quantum excitations coupled to spatially extended nonlinear many-body systems

The role of noise in the transport properties of quantum excitations is a topic of great importance in many fields, from organic semiconductors for technological applications to light-harvesting complexes in photosynthesis. In this paper we study a semi-classical model where a tight-binding Hamiltonian is fully coupled to an underlying spatially extended nonlinear chain of atoms. We show that the transport properties of a quantum excitation are subtly modulated by (i) the specific type (local vs non-local) of exciton-phonon coupling and by (ii) nonlinear effects of the underlying lattice. We report a non-monotonic dependence of the exciton diffusion coefficient on temperature, in agreement with earlier predictions, as a direct consequence of the lattice-induced fluctuations in the hopping rates due to long-wavelength vibrational modes. A standard measure of transport efficiency confirms that both nonlinearity in the underlying lattice and off-diagonal exciton-phonon coupling promote transport efficiency at high temperatures, preventing the Zeno-like quench observed in other models lacking an explicit noise-providing dynamical system.

Entropy production for complex Langevin equations

We study irreversible processes for nonlinear oscillators networks described by complex-valued Langevin equations that account for coupling to different thermochemical baths. Dissipation is introduced via non-Hermitian terms in the Hamiltonian of the model. We apply the stochastic thermodynamics formalism to compute explicit expressions for the entropy production rates. We discuss in particular the nonequilibrium steady states of the network characterized by a constant production rate of entropy and flows of energy and particle currents. For two specific examples, a one-dimensional chain and a dimer, numerical calculations are presented. The role of asymmetric coupling among the oscillators on the entropy production is illustrated.

Coherent energy transport in classical nonlinear oscillators: An analogy with the Josephson effect.

By means of a simple theoretical model and numerical simulations, we demonstrate the presence of persistent energy currents in a lattice of classical nonlinear oscillators with uniform temperature and chemical potential. In analogy with the well-known Josephson effect, the currents are proportional to the sine of the phase differences between the oscillators. Our results elucidate general aspects of nonequilibrium thermodynamics and point towards a way to practically control transport phenomena in a large class of systems. We apply the model to describe the phase-controlled spin-wave current in a bilayer nanopillar.