Active Atoms and Interstitials in Two-dimensional Colloidal Crystals

Abstract

We study experimentally and numerically the motion of a self-phoretic active particle in two-dimensional (2D) loosely-packed colloidal crystals at fluid interfaces. Two scenarios emerge depending on the interaction between the active particle and the lattice: the active particle either navigates throughout the crystal as an interstitial or is part of the lattice and behaves as an active atom. Active interstitials undergo a run-and-tumble motion, with the passive colloids of the crystal acting as tumbling sites. Instead, active atoms exhibit an intermittent motion, which stems from the interplay between the periodic potential landscape of the passive crystal and the particle's self-propulsion. Our results shed new light on the behaviour of dense active phases and constitute the first step towards the realization of non-close-packed crystalline phases with internal activity.

References in corpus (18)

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Cited by in corpus (15)

• Microscale Marangoni Surfers
• Activity-controlled Annealing of Colloidal Monolayers
• Hydrodynamics can Determine the Optimal Route for Microswimmer Navigation
• Compression of colloidal monolayers at liquid interfaces: in situ vs. ex situ investigation
• Inverse Solidification Induced by Active Janus Particles
• Surface microswimmers, harnessing the interface to self-propel
• Tuning the rheology and microstructure of particle-laden fluid interfaces with Janus particles
• Environmental Memory Boosts Group Formation of Clueless Individuals
• Active spheres induce Marangoni flows that drive collective dynamics
• Universal reshaping of arrested colloidal gels via active doping
• Reconfiguration, Interrupted Aging and Enhanced Dynamics of a Colloidal Gel using Photo-Switchable Active Doping
• Phase coexistence in a monolayer of active particles induced by Marangoni flows
• Island Hopping of active colloids
• Data-driven criterion for the solid-liquid transition of two-dimensional self-propelled colloidal particles far from equilibrium
• Active particle in a very thin interfacial droplet