Study of the dynamical approach to the interface localization–delocalization transition ofthe confined Ising model

Abstract

Confined magnetic Ising films in aL × D geometry (), with short-range competing magneticfields (h) acting atopposite walls along the D-direction, exhibit a slightly rounded localization–delocalization transition of the interfacebetween domains of different orientations that runs parallel to the walls. This transition isthe precursor of a wetting transition that occurs in the limit of infinite film thickness () at the critical curve Tw(h). For T<Tw(h) (T>Tw(h)) such an interface is bounded (unbounded) to the walls, while right atTw(h) the interface is freely fluctuating around the centre of the film.Starting from disordered configurations, corresponding to , we quench to the wetting critical temperature and study the dynamics of the approach tothe stationary regime by means of extensive Monte Carlo simulations. It is found that forall layers parallel to the wall (rows), the row magnetizations exhibit a peak at a time and subsequently relax to the stationary, equilibrium behaviour. The characteristic timefor such a relaxation scales as , as expected from theoretical arguments, that are discussed in detail.