Directed Ising type dynamic preroughening transition in one-dimensional interfaces

We present a realization of directed Ising (DI) type dynamic absorbing stat e phase transitions in the context of one-dimensional interfaces, such as t he relaxation of a step on a vicinal surface. Under the restriction that pa rticle deposition and evaporation can only take place near existing kinks, the interface relaxes into one of three steady states: rough, perfectly ord ered flat (OF) without kinks, or disordered flat (DOF) with randomly placed kinks but in perfect up-down alternating order. A DI type dynamic prerough ening transition takes place between the OF and DOF phases. At this critica l point the asymptotic time evolution is controlled not only by the DI expo nents but also by the initial condition. Information about the correlations in the initial state persists and changes the critical exponents. [S1063-6 51X(99)06401-6].