Dynamics of feedback Ising model

Abstract

We study the dynamics of a mean-field Ising model whose coupling depends on the magnetization via a linear feedback function. A key feature of this linear feedback Ising model (FIM) is the possibility of temperature-induced bistability, where a temperature increase can favor bistability between two phases. We show that the linear FIM provides a minimal model for a transcritical bifurcation as the temperature varies. Moreover, there can be two or three critical temperatures when the external magnetic field is non-negative. In the bistable region, we identify a Maxwell temperature where the two phases are equally probable, and we find that increasing the temperature favors the lower phase. We show that the probability distribution becomes non-Gaussian on certain time intervals when the magnetization converges algebraically at either zero temperature or critical temperatures. Near critical points in the parameter space, we derive a Fokker-Planck equation, construct the families of equilibrium distributions, and formulate scaling laws for transition rates between two stable equilibria. The linear FIM offers considerable flexibility in controlling steady-state bifurcations and their associated equilibrium distributions, which can be desirable for modeling feedback systems across various disciplines.