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Anomalous Correlators, Negative Frequencies, and Non-Phase-Invariant Hamiltonians in Random Waves

A. Villois1,2, G. Dematteis2,*, Y. V. Lvov3, M. Onorato2,4, and J. Shatah5

  • *Contact author: giovanni.dematteis@unito.it
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Phys. Rev. Lett. 135, 167201 – Published 16 October, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/3brq-j34x

Abstract

We investigate a generic non-phase-invariant Hamiltonian model that governs the dynamics of nonlinear dispersive waves. We give evidence that initial data characterized by random phases naturally evolve into phase correlations between positive and negative wave numbers, leading to the emergence of nonzero anomalous correlators and negative frequencies. Using analytical techniques, we show that anomalous correlators develop on a timescale of O(1/ε), earlier than the kinetic timescale. Our theoretical predictions are validated through direct numerical simulations of the deterministic system.

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Phys. Rev. Lett. 135, 167201– Published 16 October, 2025
  • Received 27 February 2025
  • Accepted 2 September 2025
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