Condensed Matter Theory

Abstract:

Abstract:

Phenomenological rules that govern the collective behavior of complex physical systems are powerful tools because they can make concrete predictions about their universality class based on generic considerations, such as symmetries, conservation laws, and dimensionality. While in most cases such considerations are manifestly ingrained in the constituents, novel phenomenology can emerge when composite units associated with emergent symmetries dominate the behavior of the system. We study a generic class of active matter systems with nonreciprocal interactions and demonstrate the existence of true long-range polar order in two dimensions and above, both at the linear level and by including all relevant nonlinearities in the Renormalization Group sense. We achieve this by uncovering a mapping of our scalar active mixture theory to the Toner–Tu theory of dry polar active matter by employing a suitably defined polar order parameter. We then demonstrate that the complete effective field theory—which includes all the soft modes and the relevant nonlinear terms—belongs to the (Burgers-) Kardar–Parisi–Zhang universality class. This classification allows us to prove the stability of the emergent polar long-range order in scalar nonreciprocal mixtures in two dimensions, and hence a conclusive violation of the Mermin–Wagner theorem.

Abstract:

We study a mixture of extensile and contractile cells using a vertex model extended to include active nematic stresses. The two cell populations phase separate over time. While phase separation strengthens monotonically with an increasing magnitude of contractile activity, the dependence on extensile activity is nonmonotonic, so that sufficiently high values reduce the extent of sorting. We interpret this by showing that extensile activity renders the system motile, enabling cells to undergo neighbor exchanges. Contractile cells that come into contact as a result are then more likely to stay connected due to an effective attraction arising from contractile activity.

Abstract:

We present a computational study of the pairwise interactions between defects in the recently introduced non-reciprocal Cahn–Hilliard model. The evolution of a defect pair exhibits dependence upon their corresponding topological charges, initial separation, and the non-reciprocity coupling constant α. We find that the stability of isolated topologically neutral targets significantly affects the pairwise defect interactions. At large separations, defect interactions are small and a defect pair is stable. When positioned in relatively close proximity, a pair of oppositely charged spirals or targets merge to form a single target. At low α, like-charged spirals form rotating bound pairs, which are however torn apart by spontaneously formed targets at high α. Similar preference for charged or neutral solutions is also seen for a spiral target pair where the spiral dominates at low α, but concedes to the target at large α. Our work sheds light on the complex phenomenology of non-reciprocal active matter systems when their collective dynamics involves topological defects.