Asymmetric coupling induces two-directional reentrance transition in three-lane exclusion process.

Abstract

Inspired by vehicular traffic phenomena, we study a three-lane open totally asymmetric simple exclusion process with both-sided lane switching in the companionship of Langmuir kinetics. We calculate the phase diagrams, density profiles, and phase transitions through mean-field theory and successfully validate these findings with Monte Carlo simulation results. It has been found that both the qualitative and quantitative topology of phase diagrams crucially rely on the ratio of lane-switching rates called coupling strength. The proposed model has various unique mixed phases, including a double shock resulting in bulk-induced phase transitions. The interplay between both-sided coupling, third lane, and Langmuir kinetics produces unusual features, including a back-and-forth phase transition, also called a reentrance transition, in two directions for relatively nominal values of coupling strength. The presence of reentrance transition and peculiar phase boundaries leads to a rare type of phase division in which one phase lies entirely within another region. Moreover, we scrutinize the shock dynamics by analyzing four different types of shock and finite-size effects.