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The number of topological defects in the shear flow of active nematic fluids is numerically investigated in this study. The evolution of the flow state of extensile active nematic fluids is explored by increasing the activity of active nematic fluids. Evidently, medium-activity active nematic fluids exhibit a highly ordered vortex lattice fluid state. However, high-activity active nematic fluids exhibit a meso-scale turbulent flow accompanied by topological defects. The number of topological defects (N) increases with increasing shear Reynolds number (Re). Fluid viscosity strongly influences N, while the influence of fluid density is relatively weak. N decreases with increasing activity length scale (l) value. A small Re value strongly influences N, whereas a large l value only weakly influences N. As the activity increases, N in contractile active nematic fluids becomes larger than that of extensile active nematic fluids.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1140/epje/s10189-024-00437-4 | DOI Listing |
Adv Mater
September 2025
Soft Matter Optics Group, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Wyb. Wyspianskiego 27, Wroclaw, 50-370, Poland.
Nematic Liquid Crystals (LCs), noted for their simple molecular alignment and broad use in optoelectronics, remain unmodified for over a century. However, in 2017, a unique polar phase, the ferroelectric nematic (N), is confirmed. Subsequently, in 2024, the revolutionary spontaneous mirror symmetry breaking of ferroelectric twist-bend nematic chiral structures (N phase) is demonstrated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEntropy (Basel)
July 2025
Department of Mathematics, University of California, Riverside, CA 92507, USA.
We present a thermodynamically consistent energetic variational model for active nematics driven by ATP hydrolysis. Extending the classical Toner-Tu framework, we introduce a chemo-mechanical coupling mechanism in which the self-advection and polarization dynamics are modulated by the ATP hydrolysis rate. The model is derived using an energetic variational approach that integrates both chemical free energy and mechanical energy into a unified energy dissipation law.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPhys Rev Lett
August 2025
University of Oxford, Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics, Oxford OX1 3PU, United Kingdom.
We show that a suspension of noninteracting deformable particles subjected to an oscillatory shear flow leads to development of nematic order that arises from the phenomenon of phase synchronization. The synchronized state corresponds to a unique, stable limit cycle confined in the toroidal state space. The limit cycle exists since, unlike rigid particles, deformable particles can modulate aspect ratio, adjust their tumbling rate, and thus achieve phase synchronization.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSoft Matter
August 2025
Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Nöthnitzerst. 38, 01187 Dresden, Germany.
Via mechanisms not accessible at equilibrium, self-propelled particles can form phases with positional order, such as crystals, and with orientational order, such as polar flocks. However, the interplay between these two types of order remains relatively unexplored. Here, we address this point by studying crystals of active particles that turn either towards or away from each other, which can be experimentally realised with phoretic or Janus colloids or with elastically-coupled walker robots.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMater Horiz
August 2025
Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, 2036 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, Canada.
A series of stable electro-switchable cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) films is fabricated by the covalent functionalization of preassembled chiral nematic CNC substrates with electro-active molecules. Through this approach, we anchor siloxy-group-containing viologens (SV) to the surface of CNCs in a preformed film. Unlike conventional premixing strategies that typically disrupt chiral self-assembly of CNCs, this method produces films that retain the structural color and chiroptical properties of the chiral nematic CNC substrate, while exhibiting stable electrochromic performance.
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