Eur. Phys. J. B (2012) 85: 315
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjb/e2012-30232-x

Regular Article

Depinning transition in disorder media: a fractional approach

Department of Physics, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, P.R. China

^a e-mail: xiahuicumt@163.com

Received: 15 March 2012
Received in final form: 28 June 2012
Published online: 17 September 2012

Abstract

We introduce a fractional stochastic equation for driven interfaces in random media, in which the normal diffusion term is replaced by a fractional Laplacian for exhibiting long-range interaction through quenched disorder. The critical exponents are obtained numerically at the depinning transition. Our results show that the model displays a family of continuously changing universality classes. The fractional Laplacian affects evidently the depinning transition in disorder media.