Equilibrium of anchored interfaces with quenched disordered growth

Abstract

The roughening behavior of a one-dimensional interface fluctuating under quenched disorder growth is examined while keeping an anchored boundary. The latter introduces detailed balance conditions which allows for a simple but thorough analysis of equilibrium aspects at both macroscopic and microscopic scales. It is found that the interface roughens linearly with the substrate size only in the vicinity of special disorder realizations. Otherwise, it remains stiff and tilted.