Roughness-induced diffusion enhancement in asymmetric potentials under nonequilibrium fluctuations.

Area of Science:

• Physics
• Physical Chemistry
• Statistical Mechanics

Background:

• Potential landscape roughness traditionally impedes particle diffusion, especially for thermally driven systems without external bias.
• Nonequilibrium fluctuations introduce complex dynamics not fully captured by classical models.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of potential landscape roughness on particle diffusion in systems driven by nonequilibrium fluctuations.
• To demonstrate a novel principle where roughness can accelerate diffusion under specific conditions.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a paradigmatic model of nonequilibrium fluctuations, specifically Poisson shot noise.
• Analyzed particle behavior in an asymmetric potential landscape with roughness.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated that roughness in an asymmetric potential can accelerate diffusion for driven particles.
• Observed a pronounced enhancement in the effective diffusion coefficient, surpassing free-particle diffusion.
• Identified the mechanism of "unidirectional slide inhibition" where roughness and asymmetry selectively arrest backward particle motion.

Conclusions:

• Potential roughness can be harnessed to enhance diffusion in driven systems, contrary to classical understanding.
• The findings establish a new principle for nonequilibrium control and particle transport.
• Opens avenues for novel particle separation technologies and understanding transport in complex biological and soft-matter systems.