Formation of density waves via interface conversion of ballistic and diffusive motion

Abstract: We develop a mechanism for the controlled conversion of ballistic to diffusive motion and vice versa. This process takes place at the interfaces of domains with different time-dependent forces in lattices of laterally oscillating barrier potentials. As a consequence long-time transient oscillations of the particle density are formed which can be converted to permanent density waves by an appropriate tuning of the driving forces. The proposed mechanism opens the perspective of an engineering of the nonequilibrium dynamics of particles in inhomogeneously driven lattices.