Kibble-Zurek mechanism

The Kibble-Zurek mechanism describes how imperfections or defects form in a system when it transitions quickly between different states—like cooling a material rapidly through a phase change. As the system approaches the transition point, its ability to stay in equilibrium slows down, causing different regions to choose different states independently. When the transition finalizes, these regions meet, creating defects or imperfections. Essentially, the faster the change, the more defects are "frozen in," highlighting how the speed of a transition influences the material's final structure.