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An exceptional view of phase transitions in non-equilibrium systems

Phase transitions in certain non-equilibrium systems cannot be described using the classical laws of statistical mechanics. A mathematical approach involving features called exceptional points now solves this far-reaching problem.
  1. Cynthia J. O. Reichhardt

    1. Cynthia J. O. Reichhardt is in the Theoretical Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87544, USA.

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  2. Charles Reichhardt

    1. Charles Reichhardt is in the Theoretical Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87544, USA.

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Newton’s third law, which states that every action has an equal and opposite reaction, is such a foundational element of classical mechanics that it is often taken for granted. But an increasing number of studies involve non-equilibrium systems in which the equality of action and reaction is broken, leading to non-reciprocal interactions between the constituent elements of the system1. The standard machinery of classical statistical mechanics is incapable of describing the phase transitions that occur in such systems. Writing in Nature, Fruchart et al.2 report that a mathematical model involving exceptional points — locations in the parameter space of a system at which two or more modes of the system coalesce into a single mode — successfully captures the behaviour of non-reciprocal phase transitions. The findings pave the way for the future analysis and eventual harnessing of these phase transitions in a variety of applications.

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Nature 592, 355-356 (2021)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-021-00886-3

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