Non-reciprocal topological solitons in active metamaterials
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arXiv
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Preprint |
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2023
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| _version_ | 1866915458092892160 |
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| author | Veenstra, Jonas Gamayun, Oleksandr Guo, Xiaofei Sarvi, Anahita Meinersen, Chris Ventura Coulais, Corentin |
| author_facet | Veenstra, Jonas Gamayun, Oleksandr Guo, Xiaofei Sarvi, Anahita Meinersen, Chris Ventura Coulais, Corentin |
| contents | From protein motifs to black holes, topological solitons are pervasive nonlinear excitations that are robust and can be driven by external fields. So far, existing driving mechanisms all accelerate solitons and antisolitons in opposite directions. Here we introduce a local driving mechanism for solitons that accelerates both solitons and antisolitons in the same direction instead: non-reciprocal driving. To realize this mechanism, we construct an active mechanical metamaterial consisting of non-reciprocally coupled oscillators subject to a bistable potential. We find that such nonlinearity coaxes non-reciprocal excitations - so-called non-Hermitian skin waves, which are typically unstable - into robust oneway (anti)solitons. We harness such non-reciprocal topological solitons by constructing an active waveguide capable of transmitting and filtering unidirectional information. Finally, we illustrate this mechanism in another class of metamaterials that displays the breaking of 'supersymmetry' causing only antisolitons to be driven. Our observations and models demonstrate a subtle interplay between non-reciprocity and topological solitons, whereby solitons create their own driving force by locally straining the material. Beyond the scope of our study, non-reciprocal solitons might provide an efficient driving mechanism for robotic locomotion and could emerge in other settings, e.g. quantum mechanics, optics and soft matter. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2312_03544 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2023 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Non-reciprocal topological solitons in active metamaterials Veenstra, Jonas Gamayun, Oleksandr Guo, Xiaofei Sarvi, Anahita Meinersen, Chris Ventura Coulais, Corentin Soft Condensed Matter Materials Science Pattern Formation and Solitons From protein motifs to black holes, topological solitons are pervasive nonlinear excitations that are robust and can be driven by external fields. So far, existing driving mechanisms all accelerate solitons and antisolitons in opposite directions. Here we introduce a local driving mechanism for solitons that accelerates both solitons and antisolitons in the same direction instead: non-reciprocal driving. To realize this mechanism, we construct an active mechanical metamaterial consisting of non-reciprocally coupled oscillators subject to a bistable potential. We find that such nonlinearity coaxes non-reciprocal excitations - so-called non-Hermitian skin waves, which are typically unstable - into robust oneway (anti)solitons. We harness such non-reciprocal topological solitons by constructing an active waveguide capable of transmitting and filtering unidirectional information. Finally, we illustrate this mechanism in another class of metamaterials that displays the breaking of 'supersymmetry' causing only antisolitons to be driven. Our observations and models demonstrate a subtle interplay between non-reciprocity and topological solitons, whereby solitons create their own driving force by locally straining the material. Beyond the scope of our study, non-reciprocal solitons might provide an efficient driving mechanism for robotic locomotion and could emerge in other settings, e.g. quantum mechanics, optics and soft matter. |
| title | Non-reciprocal topological solitons in active metamaterials |
| topic | Soft Condensed Matter Materials Science Pattern Formation and Solitons |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2312.03544 |