Odd Response-Induced Phase Separation of Active Spinners.

Area of Science:

• Soft Matter Physics
• Non-equilibrium Statistical Mechanics

Background:

• Active spinner systems possess unique properties like odd viscosity and odd elasticity due to broken symmetries and non-conservative interactions.
• These properties lead to phenomena not observed in passive or traditional active systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the influence of odd viscosity and odd elasticity on the phase behavior of active spinner systems.
• To understand the mechanisms behind exotic phase transitions in these systems.

Main Methods:

• Theoretical study of active spinner fluids and solids under shear.
• Analysis of phase separation dynamics considering odd viscosity and odd elasticity.
• Investigation of the interplay between thermal fluctuations and odd response-induced forces.

Main Results:

• Under simple shear, active spinner fluids exhibit anisotropic gas-liquid phase separation driven by odd-viscosity stress.
• This phase separation displays equilibrium-like characteristics, including binodal-like, spinodal curves, and a critical point.
• The liquid phase is unstable and rapidly condenses into a solid-like phase due to the dominance of odd elasticity over odd viscosity.

Conclusions:

• The cooperation between odd viscosity and odd elasticity leads to exotic phase behaviors in active spinner systems.
• Competition between thermal fluctuations and odd response-induced attraction governs these unusual phase transitions.
• Odd viscosity and elasticity play fundamental roles in driving novel phase transitions in active matter.