Active particles in tunable compressible environments

Abstract

Active particles affect their environment as much as the environment affects their active motion. Here, we present an experimental system where both can be simultaneously adjusted in situ using an external AC electric field. The environment consists in a two-dimensional bath of colloidal silica particles, whereas the active particles are gold-coated Janus spheres. As the electric field orthogonal to the planar layer increases, the former become stiffer and the latter become faster. The active trajectories exhibit enhanced rotational motion where the reorientation frequency increases with the particle speed, an effect that culminates in a chiral active motion. We demonstrate that self sustained reorientations arise from local compressions and interaction asymmetries, revealing a general particle-level mechanism where changes in the mechanical properties of the environment reshape active trajectories.

Acceptance by Small Science (March 2026)