Spatiotemporal control of liquid crystal structure and dynamics through activity patterning

Zhang, Rui; Redford, Steven A.; Ruijgrok, Paul V.; Kumar, Nitin; Mozaffari, Ali; Zemsky, Sasha; Dinner, Aaron R.; Vitelli, Vincenzo; Bryant, Zev; Gardel, Margaret L.; Pablo, Juan

doi:10.1038/s41563-020-00901-4

Cited by 108 publications

(112 citation statements)

References 49 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

105

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…When a +1/2 defect is approaching such boundary from a more active region, this force serves to repel it and, therefore, confine it within the activity pattern (30). This behavior has been confirmed in experiments of actin filaments and gear-shifting myosin motors (29). This result suggests that one can design activity patterns that alter +1/2 defect pathways, as demonstrated in Fig.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 65%

Logic operations with active topological defects

2022

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Logic operations performed by semiconductor-based transistors are the basis of modern computing. There is considerable interest in creating autonomous materials systems endowed with the capability to make decisions. In this work, we introduce the concept of using topological defects in active matter to perform logic operations. When an extensile active stress in a nematic liquid crystal is turned on, +1/2 defects can self-propel, in analogy to electron transport under a voltage gradient. By relying on hydrodynamic simulations of active nematics, we demonstrate that patterns of activity, when combined with surfaces imparting certain orientations, can be used to control the formation and transport of +1/2 defects. We further show that asymmetric high- and low-activity patterns can be used to create effective defect gates, tunnels, and amplifiers. The proposed active systems offer the potential to perform computations and transmit information in active soft materials, including actin-, tubulin-, and cell-based systems.

show abstract

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 65%

Logic operations with active topological defects

2022

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Our approach enables programming metamaterials with complex defect patterns, as well as devising spatially textured actuations that yield different mechanical functionalities from a single sample. Controlling and steering the mechanical response in the bulk of 3D metamaterials could enable adaptive failure control, could potentially be implemented in nematic elastomers [35], and may also lead to additional applications such as steering waves [36], or to drive active matter [37][38][39].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Putting a spin on metamaterials: Mechanical incompatibility as magnetic frustration

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Mechanical metamaterials present a promising platform for seemingly impossible mechanics. They often require incompatibility of their elementary building blocks, yet a comprehensive understanding of its role remains elusive. Relying on an analogy to ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic binary spin interactions, we present a general approach to identify and analyze topological mechanical defects for arbitrary building blocks. We underline differences between two- and three-dimensional metamaterials, and show how topological defects can steer stresses and strains in a controlled and non-trivial manner and can inspire the design of materials with hitherto unknown complex mechanical response.

show abstract

“…When exposed to light, the synthetic motors form dimers that can bind and move along two neighboring MTs. Zhang et al [93] used light-sensitive myosin motors to control the movement of defects. Qu et al [94] proposed a similar method to control the flow field.…”

Section: Lightmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nano/Micromotors in Active Matter

Yang

2022

Micromachines

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Nano/micromotors (NMMs) are tiny objects capable of converting energy into mechanical motion. Recently, a wealth of active matter including synthetic colloids, cytoskeletons, bacteria, and cells have been used to construct NMMs. The self-sustained motion of active matter drives NMMs out of equilibrium, giving rise to rich dynamics and patterns. Alongside the spontaneous dynamics, external stimuli such as geometric confinements, light, magnetic field, and chemical potential are also harnessed to control the movements of NMMs, yielding new application paradigms of active matter. Here, we review the recent advances, both experimental and theoretical, in exploring biological NMMs. The unique dynamical features of collective NMMs are focused on, along with some possible applications of these intriguing systems.

show abstract

Spatiotemporal control of liquid crystal structure and dynamics through activity patterning

Cited by 108 publications

References 49 publications

Logic operations with active topological defects

Logic operations with active topological defects

Putting a spin on metamaterials: Mechanical incompatibility as magnetic frustration

Nano/Micromotors in Active Matter

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About