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fhenryco
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- TL;DR Summary
- Are topological defects really discontinuous
Are topological defects such as domain walls really discontinuous (implying infinite slopes of the fields) or only approximately ?
Topological defects are regions in a material or physical system where the order or symmetry of the system is disrupted. They can occur in a variety of systems, including crystals, liquid crystals, and superconductors.
Topological defects can form through a process called spontaneous symmetry breaking, where a system transitions from a high-energy, symmetric state to a lower-energy, asymmetric state. This can occur due to changes in temperature, pressure, or other external factors.
Domain walls are a type of topological defect that occur in materials with broken symmetry. They are boundaries between regions of the material with different orientations or properties, and are characterized by a change in the order parameter of the material.
Yes, topological defects are considered to be discontinuous because they represent a sudden change in the order or symmetry of a system. However, they can also have continuous properties, such as a smoothly varying energy profile along the defect.
Topological defects have a wide range of applications in physics and materials science. They can be used to study phase transitions, create novel materials with unique properties, and even in information storage and processing in devices such as magnetic memory. They also have potential applications in fields such as cosmology and particle physics.