Diffusion in the inverted triangular soft Lorentz gas

Abstract

We investigate diffusion in a two-dimensional inverted soft Lorentz gas, where attractive Fermi-type potential wells are arranged in a triangular lattice. This configuration contrasts with earlier studies of soft Lorentz gases involving repulsive scatterers. By systematically varying the gap width and softness of the potential, we explore a rich landscape of diffusive behaviors. We present numerical simulations of the mean-squared displacement and compute diffusion coefficients, identifying tonguelike structures in parameter space associated with quasiballistic transport. Furthermore, we develop an extension to the Machta-Zwanzig approximation that incorporates correlated multihop trajectories, and we correct for the influence of localized periodic orbits. Our findings highlight the qualitative and quantitative differences between inverted and repulsive soft Lorentz gases, and they offer new insights into transport phenomena in smooth periodic potentials.