Explicit symmetry breaking

Explicit symmetry breaking refers to a situation in physics where a system that has a certain symmetry is made to lose that symmetry due to the introduction of some external influence or perturbation. This is different from spontaneous symmetry breaking, where the symmetry is broken by the dynamics of the system itself, without any external influence. In explicit symmetry breaking, the parameters of the system (like masses, coupling constants, or external fields) are adjusted in such a way that they actively favor one state over another.