Suppression of Interface Roughness in Driven Nonequilibrium Systems

Abstract

The interface of an Ising lattice-gas model of ions, driven by an external electric field parallel to the interface, is studied in two bulk dimensions with extensive Monte Carlo simulations. Even for weak field, numerical results indicate strong suppression of interfacial capillary-wave excitations. This is qualitatively similar to the effects of gravity on fluid interfaces, but some differences are observed in the structure factors. We argue that the physical picture may apply in general to driven systems in steady state, and in higher dimensions.