Anomalous grain dynamics and grain locomotion of odd crystals

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Main Authors: Huang, Zhi-Feng, Vrugt, Michael te, Wittkowski, Raphael, Löwen, Hartmut
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Huang, Zhi-Feng
Vrugt, Michael te
Wittkowski, Raphael
Löwen, Hartmut
author_facet Huang, Zhi-Feng
Vrugt, Michael te
Wittkowski, Raphael
Löwen, Hartmut
contents Crystalline or polycrystalline systems governed by odd elastic responses are known to exhibit complex dynamical behaviors involving self-propelled dynamics of topological defects with spontaneous self-rotation of chiral crystallites. Unveiling and controlling the underlying mechanisms require studies across multiple scales. We develop such a type of approach that bridges between microscopic and mesoscopic scales, in the form of a phase field crystal model incorporating transverse interactions. This continuum density field theory features two-dimensional parity symmetry breaking and odd elasticity, and generates a variety of interesting phenomena that agree well with recent experiments and particle-based simulations of active and living chiral crystals, including self-rotating crystallites, dislocation self-propulsion and proliferation, and fragmentation in polycrystals. We identify a distinct type of surface cusp instability induced by self-generated surface odd stress that results in self-fission of single-crystalline grains. This mechanism is pivotal for the occurrence of various anomalous grain dynamics for odd crystals, particularly the predictions of a transition from normal to reverse Ostwald ripening for self-rotating odd grains, and a transition from grain coarsening to grain self-fragmentation in the dynamical polycrystalline state with an increase of transverse interaction strength. We also demonstrate that the single-grain dynamics can be maneuvered through the variation of interparticle transverse interactions. This allows to steer the desired pathway of grain locomotion and to control the transition between grain self-rotation, self-rolling, and self-translation. Our results provide insights for the design and control of structural and dynamical properties of active odd elastic materials.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2505_03957
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Anomalous grain dynamics and grain locomotion of odd crystals
Huang, Zhi-Feng
Vrugt, Michael te
Wittkowski, Raphael
Löwen, Hartmut
Soft Condensed Matter
Statistical Mechanics
Adaptation and Self-Organizing Systems
Crystalline or polycrystalline systems governed by odd elastic responses are known to exhibit complex dynamical behaviors involving self-propelled dynamics of topological defects with spontaneous self-rotation of chiral crystallites. Unveiling and controlling the underlying mechanisms require studies across multiple scales. We develop such a type of approach that bridges between microscopic and mesoscopic scales, in the form of a phase field crystal model incorporating transverse interactions. This continuum density field theory features two-dimensional parity symmetry breaking and odd elasticity, and generates a variety of interesting phenomena that agree well with recent experiments and particle-based simulations of active and living chiral crystals, including self-rotating crystallites, dislocation self-propulsion and proliferation, and fragmentation in polycrystals. We identify a distinct type of surface cusp instability induced by self-generated surface odd stress that results in self-fission of single-crystalline grains. This mechanism is pivotal for the occurrence of various anomalous grain dynamics for odd crystals, particularly the predictions of a transition from normal to reverse Ostwald ripening for self-rotating odd grains, and a transition from grain coarsening to grain self-fragmentation in the dynamical polycrystalline state with an increase of transverse interaction strength. We also demonstrate that the single-grain dynamics can be maneuvered through the variation of interparticle transverse interactions. This allows to steer the desired pathway of grain locomotion and to control the transition between grain self-rotation, self-rolling, and self-translation. Our results provide insights for the design and control of structural and dynamical properties of active odd elastic materials.
title Anomalous grain dynamics and grain locomotion of odd crystals
topic Soft Condensed Matter
Statistical Mechanics
Adaptation and Self-Organizing Systems
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.03957