Continuous Universality in non-equilibrium relaxational dynamics of O(2) symmetric systems

Abstract: We elucidate a non-conserved relaxational nonequilibrium dynamics of a O(2) symmetric model. We drive the system out of equilibrium by introducing a non-zero noise cross-correlation of amplitude $D_\times$ in a stochastic Langevin description of the system, while maintaining the O(2) symmetry of the order parameter space. By performing dynamic renormalization group calculations in a field-theoretic set up, we analyze the ensuing nonequilibrium steady states and evaluate the scaling exponents near the critical point, which now depend explicitly on $D_\times$. Since the latter remains unrenormalized, we obtain universality classes varying continuously with $D_\times$. More interestingly, by changing $D_\times$ continuously from zero, we can make our system move away from its equilibrium behavior (i.e., when $D_\times=0$) continuously and incrementally.