Fluctuation driven phenomena refer to a broad class of physical systems that are shaped and influenced by randomness. These fluctuations can manifest in various forms such as thermal noise, stochasticity, or even quantum fluctuations. The importance of understanding these phenomena lies in their ubiquity in natural systems, from the formation of patterns in biological systems, to the behavior of phase transitions and universality classes, to quantum computers. In this dissertation, we delve into the peculiar phenomena driven by fluctuations in the following scenarios: We study the near-equilibrium critical dynamics of the O(3) nonlinear sigma model describing isotropic antiferromagnets with a non-conserved order parameter reversibly coupled to the conserved total magnetization. We find that in equilibrium, the dynamics is well-separated from the statics and the static response functions are recovered in the limit ω → 0, at least to one-loop order in a perturbative treatment with respect to the static and dynamical nonlinearities. Since the static nonlinear sigma model must be analyzed in a dimensional d = 2 + ε expansion about its lower critical dimension d_lc = 2, whereas the dynamical mode-coupling terms are governed by the upper critical dimension d_c = 4, a simultaneous perturbative dimensional expansion is not feasible, and the reversible critical dynamics for this model cannot be accessed at the static critical renormalization group fixed point. However, in the coexistence limit addressing the long-wavelength properties of the low-temperature ordered phase, we can perform an ε = 4 − d expansion near dc. This yields anomalous scaling features induced by the massless Goldstone modes, namely sub-diffusive relaxation for the conserved magnetization density with asymptotic scaling exponent z_Γ= d − 2 which may be observable in neutron scattering experiments. We investigate the influence of spatial disorder on coined quantum walks. Coined quantum walks describe the time evolution of a quantum particle that is controlled by a quantum coin degree of freedom. We consider one-dimensional walks and use a two- level system as quantum coin. Each time step thus consists of the iterative application of a quantum coin toss and a conditional shift operator. Qualitative differences with classical random walks arise due to superpositioned states and entanglement between walker and coin. We consider spatially inhomogeneous coin tosses with every lattice site having a tossing amplitude. These amplitudes are noisy such that the walk is spatially disordered. We find that disorder deteriorates the ballistic transport properties of non-noisy quantum walks. This leads to an extremely slow spreading of the quantum walker and potentially induces localization behavior. We investigate this slow dynamics and compare the disordered quantum walk with the standard coined Hadamard walk. Special focus is given to the influence of disorder on entanglement-related properties. We apply a perturbative field-theoretical analysis to the symmetric Rock-Paper-Scissors (RPS) model and the symmetric May-Leonard (ML) model, in which three species compete cyclically. We demonstrate that the qualitative features of the ML model are insensitive to intrinsic reaction noise. In contrast, and although not yet observed in numerical simulations, we find that the RPS model acquires significant fluctuation- induced renormalizations in the perturbative regime. We also study the formation of spatio-temporal structures in the framework of stability analysis and provide a clearcut explanation for the absence of spatial patterns in the RPS model, whereas the spontaneous emergence of spatio-temporal structures features prominently in the ML model. We delve into the action-to-absorbing phase transition in the Pair Contact Process with Diffusion (PCPD), which naturally generalizes the Directed Percolation (DP) reactions. We revisit the single-species PCPD model in the Doi-Peliti formalism and propose a possible perturbative solution for the model. In addition, we investigate the two-species effective model of PCPD and demonstrate its equivalence to the single- species PCPD at tree-level effective field theory. We also examine the fixed point of the model where all relevant parameters are set to zero. Our analysis reveals that the fixed-point theory is inconsistent with the PCPD critical condition. Thus, combining the effective field theory argument, this inconsistency suggests that the critical theory should already be completely encoded in the single-species model. / Doctor of Philosophy / Fluctuations are a ubiquitous aspect of the real world. For instance, even though a train schedule may be set, the train may arrive two minutes ahead of schedule or two hours late. Similarly, if you were to flip a coin ten times, you would expect to get five heads and five tails based on simple probability, but in reality, you may not even come close to this result. In classical situations, these fluctuations are a result of our lack of knowledge about the details of the system. However, in quantum mechanics, scientists have demonstrated that fluctuations are inherent to the system, even when every single detail of the system is known. Therefore, understanding fluctuations is crucial to gaining insight into the fundamental laws of the universe. In most cases, fluctuations are insignificant and the world can be accurately described by a set of deterministic equations. However, there are situations in which fluctuations play a significant role and can greatly deviate the system from the predictions of deterministic equations. In this dissertation, we study the following scenarios where fluctuations dominate and lead to peculiar phenomena: Near continuous phase transitions, due to the divergence of the characteristic length, most systems become long-range correlated. This means that the changes at one point can affect another point very far away. We study the critical dynamics of two systems near their phase transitions: antiferromagnetic system in Chapter 2 and a simplified population dynamics model in Chapter 5. Through our analysis, we demonstrate how fluctuations significantly alter the behavior of these systems near their critical points. In chapter 3, we examine the impact of spatial disorder on the quantum random walk, a quantum counterpart of the classical random walk or "drunkard's walk". Given that the quantum random walk has been shown to have universal quantum computing capabilities, this disorder can be considered as errors in the control of the system. We reveal how disorder effects drastically change the dynamics of the system. The formation of patterns is typically studied in deterministic nonlinear systems. In Chapter 4, we analyze pattern formation in stochastic population dynamics models, and demonstrate emergent behavior that goes beyond what is seen in their deterministic counterparts.

We investigate the relaxation dynamics of two distinct non-equilibrium processes: relaxation of three-dimensional antiferromagnetic lattice spin models with Heisenberg interaction following a critical quench, and a one-dimensional exclusion process inspired by the gear-like motion of molecular motors. In a system of three-dimensional Heisenberg antiferromagnets the non-conserved staggered magnetization components couple non-trivially to the conserved magnetization densities inducing fully reversible terms that enter the Langevin dynamic equation. We simulate the exact microscopic dynamics of such a system of antiferromagnets by employing a hybrid simulation algorithm that combines the reversible spin precession implemented by the fourth-order Runge-Kutta integration method with the standard relaxational dynamics at finite temperatures using Monte Carlo updates. We characterize the dynamic universality class of this system by probing the early temporal window where the system exhibits aging scaling properties. We also verify an earlier renormalization group prediction that the temporal decay exponent in the two-time spin autocorrelation function exhibits non-universality, specifically it depends on the width of the initial spin orientation distribution. We employ a similar numerical technique to study the critical dynamics of an anisotropic Heisenberg antiferromagnet in the presence of an external field. The phase diagram of this system exhibits two critical lines that meet at a bicritical point. We study the aging scaling dynamics for the model C critical line, probe the model F critical line by investigating the system size dependence of the characteristic spin-wave frequencies near criticality, and measure the dynamic critical exponents for the order parameter including its aging scaling at the bicritical point. We introduce a one-dimensional non-equilibrium lattice gas model representing the processive motion of dynein molecular motors over the microtubule. We study both dynamical and stationary state properties for the model consisting of hardcore particles hopping on the lattice with variable step sizes. We find that the stationary state gap-distribution exhibits striking peaks around gap sizes that are multiples of the maximum step size, for both open and periodic boundary conditions, and verify this using a mean-field calculation. For open boundary conditions, we observe intriguing damped oscillator-like distribution of particles over the lattice with a periodicity equal to the maximum step size. To characterize transient dynamics, we measure the mean square displacement that shows weak superdiffusive growth with exponent γ≈ 1.34 for periodic boundary and ballistic growth ( γ≈ 2) for open boundary conditions at early times. We also study the effect of Langmuir dynamics on the density profile. / Doctor of Philosophy / Most systems found in nature are out of equilibrium. In this dissertation we investigate the relaxation dynamics of two such non-equilibrium systems: 1. We investigate a three-dimensional antiferromagnetic system relaxing towards equilibrium from an initial state that is driven far away from equilibrium at the point in the parameter space where the system undergoes a second-order phase transition. We devise a novel simulation method that captures emerging dynamic universal features and scaling features at these points of continuous phase transition in the early times of relaxation when the system is still far away from equilibrium. 2. Cytoplasmic dyneins are one of three kinds of motor proteins that move on tubular structures called microtubules carrying and transporting cellular cargo inside the cells. Unlike the other molecular motors that move forward with fixed step sizes, the dyneins have been experimentally observed to vary their step size depending on the amount of cargo they are carrying. We model an exclusion process in a one-dimensional lattice inspired by the motion of the dynein molecular motors where the motors can hop from one to four steps depending on their internal states. We study the effect of this variable step size on the dynamics of a collection of dyneins. We observe intriguing oscillating density profiles and discrete peaks in the distribution of empty sites. Our results suggest self-organization among the motors and the empty sites.

In this dissertation, I study a nonlinear partial differential equation, the complex Ginzburg-Landau (CGL) equation. I first employed the perturbative field-theoretic renormalization group method to investigate the critical dynamics near the continuous non-equilibrium transition limit in this equation with additive noise. Due to the fact that time translation invariance is broken following a critical quench from a random initial configuration, an independent ``initial-slip'' exponent emerges to describe the crossover temporal window between microscopic time scales and the asymptotic long-time regime. My analytic work shows that to first order in a dimensional expansion with respect to the upper critical dimension, the extracted initial-slip exponent in the complex Ginzburg-Landau equation is identical to that of the equilibrium model A. Subsequently, I studied transient behavior in the CGL through numerical calculations. I developed my own code to numerically solve this partial differential equation on a two-dimensional square lattice with periodic boundary conditions, subject to random initial configurations. Aging phenomena are demonstrated in systems with either focusing and defocusing spiral waves, and the related aging exponents, as well as the auto-correlation exponents, are numerically determined. I also investigated nucleation processes when the system is transiting from a turbulent state to the ``frozen'' state. An extracted finite dimensionless barrier in the deep-quenched case and the exponentially decaying distribution of the nucleation times in the near-transition limit are both suggestive that the dynamical transition observed here is discontinuous. This research is supported by the U. S. Department of Energy, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Division of Materials Science and Engineering under Award DE-FG02-SC0002308 / Doctor of Philosophy / The complex Ginzburg-Landau equation is one of the most studied nonlinear partial differential equation in the physics community. I study this equation using both analytical and numerical methods. First, I employed the field theory approach to extract the critical initial-slip exponent, which emerges due to the breaking of time translation symmetry and describes the intermediate temporal window between microscopic time scales and the asymptotic long-time regime. I also numerically solved this equation on a two-dimensional square lattice. I studied the scaling behavior in non-equilibrium relaxation processes in situations where defects are interactive but not subject to strong fluctuations. I observed nucleation processes when the system under goes a transition from a strongly fluctuating disordered state to the relatively stable “frozen” state where its dynamics cease. I extracted a finite dimensionless barrier for systems that are quenched deep into the frozen state regime. An exponentially decaying long tail in the nucleation time distribution is found, which suggests a discontinuous transition. This research is supported by the U. S. Department of Energy, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Division of Materials Science and Engineering under Award DE-FG02-SC0002308.

Neste trabalho, nós investigamos o comportamento crítico dinâmico de três modelos estatísticos utilizando simulações Monte Carlo em tempos curtos. Inicialmente, estudamos os modelos tridimensionais de dupla-troca e de Heisenberg. O expoente dinâmico de persistência global, bem como o expoente z são estimados através de duas técnicas. Para obter o expoente de persistência global, aplicamos diretamente a lei de potência obtida para a probabilidade de persistência global e em seguida fizemos o colapso de uma função universal para duas redes de tamanhos diferentes. Para estimar o valor de z, nós usamos uma função mista que combina resultados de simulações realizadas com diferentes condições iniciais e o cumulante de Binder de quarta ordem dependente do tempo. O expoente dinâmico que governa o comportamento tipo lei de potência da magnetização inicial, é estimado através da correlação temporal da magnetização (modelos de dupla-troca e Heisenberg) e da aplicação direta de uma lei de potência (modelo de Heisenberg). Os expoentes estáticos da magnetização e comprimento de correlação são estimados seguindo o comportamento de escala do parâmetro de ordem e sua derivada, respectivamente. Os resultados confirmam que esses dois modelos pertencem à mesma classe de universalidade. Em seguida, alguns expoentes críticos dinâmicos e estáticos são estimados no ponto de bifurcação do modelo de spin com simetria Z(5) bidimensional. Neste ponto, o modelo apresenta dois parâmetros de ordem diferentes, cada um possuindo um conjunto diferente de índices críticos. Os valores dos expoentes críticos estáticos estão em boa concordância com os resultados exatos. Até onde sabemos, está é a primeira tentativa de se obter os expoentes críticos dinâmicos para os modelos de dupla troca, Heisenberg e para o modelo Z(5). / In this work, we investigate the dynamic critical behavior of three statistical models by using short-time Monte Carlo simulations. At first, we study the three-dimensional double-exchange and Heisenberg models. The global persistence exponent, as well as the exponent z are estimated through two techniques. The dynamical exponent of global persistence is obtained by using the straight application of the power law obtained for the global persistence probability and by following the scaling collapse of a universal function for two diferent lattice sizes. To estimate the value of z, we use a mixed function which combines results obtained from samples submitted to diferent initial configurations and the time dependent fourth-order Binder cumulant. The dynamical exponent which governs the power law behavior of the initial magnetization, is estimated through the time correlation of the magnetization (double-exchange and Heisenberg models) and through the straight application of a power law(Heisenberg model). The statical exponents of the magnetization and correlation length are estimated through the scaling behavior of the order parameter and its derivative, respectively. The results confirm which those models belong to the same universality class. Following, the dynamical exponents and the statical exponents are estimated at the bifurcation point of the two-dimensional Z(5)-symmetric spin model. In this point, the model presents two diferent order parameters, each one possessing a diferent set of critical indices. The values of the static critical exponents are in good agreement with the exact results. Our study is, to the best of our knowledge, the first attempt to obtain the dynamic critical exponents of the double-exchange, Heisenberg, and Z(5) models.

Neste trabalho, nós investigamos o comportamento crítico dinâmico de três modelos estatísticos utilizando simulações Monte Carlo em tempos curtos. Inicialmente, estudamos os modelos tridimensionais de dupla-troca e de Heisenberg. O expoente dinâmico de persistência global, bem como o expoente z são estimados através de duas técnicas. Para obter o expoente de persistência global, aplicamos diretamente a lei de potência obtida para a probabilidade de persistência global e em seguida fizemos o colapso de uma função universal para duas redes de tamanhos diferentes. Para estimar o valor de z, nós usamos uma função mista que combina resultados de simulações realizadas com diferentes condições iniciais e o cumulante de Binder de quarta ordem dependente do tempo. O expoente dinâmico que governa o comportamento tipo lei de potência da magnetização inicial, é estimado através da correlação temporal da magnetização (modelos de dupla-troca e Heisenberg) e da aplicação direta de uma lei de potência (modelo de Heisenberg). Os expoentes estáticos da magnetização e comprimento de correlação são estimados seguindo o comportamento de escala do parâmetro de ordem e sua derivada, respectivamente. Os resultados confirmam que esses dois modelos pertencem à mesma classe de universalidade. Em seguida, alguns expoentes críticos dinâmicos e estáticos são estimados no ponto de bifurcação do modelo de spin com simetria Z(5) bidimensional. Neste ponto, o modelo apresenta dois parâmetros de ordem diferentes, cada um possuindo um conjunto diferente de índices críticos. Os valores dos expoentes críticos estáticos estão em boa concordância com os resultados exatos. Até onde sabemos, está é a primeira tentativa de se obter os expoentes críticos dinâmicos para os modelos de dupla troca, Heisenberg e para o modelo Z(5). / In this work, we investigate the dynamic critical behavior of three statistical models by using short-time Monte Carlo simulations. At first, we study the three-dimensional double-exchange and Heisenberg models. The global persistence exponent, as well as the exponent z are estimated through two techniques. The dynamical exponent of global persistence is obtained by using the straight application of the power law obtained for the global persistence probability and by following the scaling collapse of a universal function for two diferent lattice sizes. To estimate the value of z, we use a mixed function which combines results obtained from samples submitted to diferent initial configurations and the time dependent fourth-order Binder cumulant. The dynamical exponent which governs the power law behavior of the initial magnetization, is estimated through the time correlation of the magnetization (double-exchange and Heisenberg models) and through the straight application of a power law(Heisenberg model). The statical exponents of the magnetization and correlation length are estimated through the scaling behavior of the order parameter and its derivative, respectively. The results confirm which those models belong to the same universality class. Following, the dynamical exponents and the statical exponents are estimated at the bifurcation point of the two-dimensional Z(5)-symmetric spin model. In this point, the model presents two diferent order parameters, each one possessing a diferent set of critical indices. The values of the static critical exponents are in good agreement with the exact results. Our study is, to the best of our knowledge, the first attempt to obtain the dynamic critical exponents of the double-exchange, Heisenberg, and Z(5) models.

In der vorliegenden Arbeit wird die Dynamik geordneter modulierter Phasen außerhalb des thermischen Gleichgewichts untersucht. Der Schwerpunkt liegt auf einem zweidimensionalen, streifenbildenden System, genannt Modell B mit Coulomb-Wechselwirkung, welches aus einem geordneten Anfangszustand unter dem Einfluß eines Rauschterms relaxiert. Aus den mittels numerischer Simulationen gewonnenen Daten wird die lokale Orientierung der Streifen extrahiert und deren raum-zeitliche Korrelationsfunktionen berechnet. Wir beobachten eine langsame Dynamik und Alterungseffekte in der Zwei-Zeit-Autokorrelationsfunktion, welche einer Skalenform folgt, die aus kritischen Systemen bekannt ist. Dies geht einher mit dem Wachstum einer räumlichen Korrelationslänge senkrecht zu den Streifen. Zu sehr späten Zeiten klingt die zugehörige räumliche Korrelationsfunktion mit einem Potenzgesetz ab. Weiterhin wird der Einfluß der Systemgröße und verschiedener Seitenverhältnisse auf die Dynamik des Orientierungsfeldes studiert, wobei ein Wachstumsprozeß parallel zur Ausrichtung der Streifen identifiziert wird. Es zeigt sich, daß dieser Prozeß für die Nichtgleichgewichtsdynamik entscheidend ist. Zwei weitere Modelle für modulierte Phasen werden in ähnlicher Weise untersucht. Die Swift-Hohenberg-Gleichung in der Variante mit erhaltenem sowie nicht erhaltenem Ordnungsparameter zeigt ebenfalls Alterungseffekte in der Dynamik der Streifenorientierung. In einem System, welches zweidimensionale hexagonale Muster bildet, werden Alterungseffekte in der Autokorrelationsfunktion der Verschiebung beobachtet. Jedoch sättigt die zugehörige räumliche Korrelationslänge bei einem endlichen Wert, was auf eine Unterbrechung der Alterung hindeutet.

In der vorliegenden Arbeit wird die Dynamik geordneter modulierter Phasen außerhalb des thermischen Gleichgewichts untersucht. Der Schwerpunkt liegt auf einem zweidimensionalen, streifenbildenden System, genannt Modell B mit Coulomb-Wechselwirkung, welches aus einem geordneten Anfangszustand unter dem Einfluß eines Rauschterms relaxiert. Aus den mittels numerischer Simulationen gewonnenen Daten wird die lokale Orientierung der Streifen extrahiert und deren raum-zeitliche Korrelationsfunktionen berechnet. Wir beobachten eine langsame Dynamik und Alterungseffekte in der Zwei-Zeit-Autokorrelationsfunktion, welche einer Skalenform folgt, die aus kritischen Systemen bekannt ist. Dies geht einher mit dem Wachstum einer räumlichen Korrelationslänge senkrecht zu den Streifen. Zu sehr späten Zeiten klingt die zugehörige räumliche Korrelationsfunktion mit einem Potenzgesetz ab. Weiterhin wird der Einfluß der Systemgröße und verschiedener Seitenverhältnisse auf die Dynamik des Orientierungsfeldes studiert, wobei ein Wachstumsprozeß parallel zur Ausrichtung der Streifen identifiziert wird. Es zeigt sich, daß dieser Prozeß für die Nichtgleichgewichtsdynamik entscheidend ist. Zwei weitere Modelle für modulierte Phasen werden in ähnlicher Weise untersucht. Die Swift-Hohenberg-Gleichung in der Variante mit erhaltenem sowie nicht erhaltenem Ordnungsparameter zeigt ebenfalls Alterungseffekte in der Dynamik der Streifenorientierung. In einem System, welches zweidimensionale hexagonale Muster bildet, werden Alterungseffekte in der Autokorrelationsfunktion der Verschiebung beobachtet. Jedoch sättigt die zugehörige räumliche Korrelationslänge bei einem endlichen Wert, was auf eine Unterbrechung der Alterung hindeutet.