Kibble-Zurek mechanism in driven underdamped Brownian motion

Abstract

Kibble-Zurek mechanism is widely known to appear in the transverse-field quantum Ising chain in the thermodynamic limit at zero temperature, having notorious characteristics, like the divergence of its relaxation time. In this work, I present the same effect in a simple system, the driven underdamped Brownian motion. Using linear response theory, I show the appropriate limits where the Kibble-Zurek mechanism happens. The divergence of the relaxation time, the high-temperature condition in the initial thermal equilibrium state, a new Kibble-Zurek scaling at sudden processes, and the pausing effect in the optimal protocol are presented as consequences.