The origin of power-law emergent scaling in large binary networks

We study the macroscopic conduction properties of large but finite binary networks with conducting bonds. By taking a combination of a spectral and an averaging based approach we derive asymptotic formulae for the conduction in terms of the component proportions p and the total number of components N. These formulae correctly identify both the percolation limits and also the emergent power-law behaviour between the percolation limits and show the interplay between the size of the network and the deviation of the proportion from the critical value of p=1/2. The results compare excellently with a large number of numerical simulations.

[1]  Christopher R. Bowen,et al.  Composite dielectrics and conductors: simulation, characterization and design , 2006 .

[2]  Van-Tan Truong,et al.  Complex conductivity of a conducting polymer composite at microwave frequencies , 1995 .

[3]  J. M. Luck,et al.  Dielectric resonances of binary random networks , 1998 .

[4]  H. Poincaré,et al.  Percolation ? , 1982 .

[5]  Jeppe C. Dyre,et al.  Universality of ac conduction in disordered solids , 2000 .

[6]  D. Almond,et al.  The 'emergent scaling' phenomenon and the dielectric properties of random resistor-capacitor networks , 2003 .

[7]  A. K. Jonscher,et al.  Universal relaxation law : a sequel to Dielectric relaxation in solids , 1996 .

[8]  J. Luck,et al.  The electrical conductivity of binary disordered systems, percolation clusters, fractals and related models , 1990 .

[9]  J. H. Wilkinson The algebraic eigenvalue problem , 1966 .

[10]  S. Kirkpatrick Percolation and Conduction , 1973 .

[11]  Gene H. Golub,et al.  Matrix computations , 1983 .

[12]  Darryl P Almond,et al.  An evaluation of random R-C networks for modelling the bulk ac electrical response of ionic conductors , 1999 .

[13]  Christian Brosseau,et al.  Modelling and simulation of dielectric heterostructures: a physical survey from an historical perspective , 2006 .

[14]  C. T. White,et al.  On the origin of the universal dielectric response in condensed matter , 1979, Nature.

[15]  B. Parlett The Symmetric Eigenvalue Problem , 1981 .

[16]  Darryl P Almond,et al.  The dielectric properties of random R - C networks as an explanation of the `universal' power law dielectric response of solids , 1999 .

[17]  J. Hammersley,et al.  Percolation processes , 1957, Mathematical Proceedings of the Cambridge Philosophical Society.

[18]  K. D. Murphy,et al.  Evidence of emergent scaling in mechanical systems , 2006 .

[19]  A. K. Jonscher,et al.  The ‘universal’ dielectric response , 1977, Nature.

[20]  Lobb,et al.  Highly efficient algorithm for percolative transport studies in two dimensions. , 1988, Physical review. B, Condensed matter.

[21]  Graeme W. Milton,et al.  Bounds on the complex dielectric constant of a composite material , 1980 .