Transition from anomalous to normal hysteresis in a system of coupled Brownian motors: a mean field approach

Abstract

We address a recently introduced model describing a system of periodically coupled nonlinear phase oscillators submitted to multiplicative white noises, wherein a ratchet-like transport mechanism arises through a symmetry-breaking noise-induced nonequilibrium phase transition. Numerical simulations of this system reveal amazing novel features such as negative zero-bias conductance and anomalous hysteresis, explained resorting to a strong-coupling analysis in the thermodynamic limit. Using an explicit mean-field approximation we explore the whole ordered phase finding a transition from anomalous to normal hysteresis inside this phase, estimating its locus and identifying (within this scheme) a mechanism whereby it takes place.Comment: RevTex, 21 pgs, 15 figures. Submited to Physical Review E (2000