Driven quasi-one-dimensional classical electron gas in the presence of a constriction: Pinning and depinning

We studied the properties of a quasi-one-dimensional system of charged particles in the presence of a local Lorentzian-shaped constriction. We investigated the response of the system when a time-independent external driving force is applied in the unconfined direction. Langevin molecular dynamics simulations for different values of the drive and temperature are performed. We found that the particles are pinned unless a threshold value of the driving force is reached. We investigated in detail the depinning phenomenon. The system can depin "elastically", with particles moving together and keeping their neighbors, or "quasi-elastically", with particles moving together through a complex net of conducting channels without keeping their neighbors. In the case of elastic depinning the velocity vs applied drive curves is characterized by a critical exponent beta consistent with the value (2)/(3), while in the case of quasi-elastic depinning the critical exponent beta has on average the value 0.94. The model is relevant e.g. for electrons on liquid helium, colloids and dusty plasma. (c) 2006 Published by Elsevier B.V.