Dynamics of \((2+1)\)-dimensional SOS surfaces above a wall: slow mixing induced by entropic repulsion (Q400570)

The solid-on-solid (SOS) model is a crystal surface model, which is also known as the Onsager-Temperley sheet. The authors study the Glauber dynamics for the \((d+1)\)-SOS model above a hard wall and below a far away ceiling on an \(L x L\) box with zero boundary conditions at a large inverse temperature \(\beta\). The case with \(d=2\) is of particular importance, since it is the only dimension featuring a roughening transition. The main focus here is to understand the effect of entropic repulsion for that case. The authors determine the equilibrium height to within an additive constant and show i.a.\ how the surface rises to its final height via certain levels, and determine the order of magnitude of the transition times between the levels.