title: Kibble-Zurek mechanism and infinitely slow annealing through critical points.
abstract: We revisit the Kibble-Zurek mechanism by analyzing the dynamics of phase ordering systems during an infinitely slow annealing across a second-order phase transition. We elucidate the time and cooling rate dependence of the typical growing length, and we use it to predict the number of topological defects left over in the symmetry broken phase as a function of time, both close and far from the critical region. Our results extend the Kibble-Zurek mechanism and reveal its limitations.
authors.affiliation: CEA, Institut de Physique Théorique (IPhT) URA 2306, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
authors.forename: Giulio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Biroli
authors.forename: Leticia F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Cugliandolo
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sicilia