Self-assembled clusters of mutually repelling particles in confinement

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: de Lima, P. D. S., De La Cour, R., Gaff, K., de Araújo, J. M., Cox, S. J., Ferreira, M. S., Hutzler, S.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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_version_ 1866911441594875904
author de Lima, P. D. S.
De La Cour, R.
Gaff, K.
de Araújo, J. M.
Cox, S. J.
Ferreira, M. S.
Hutzler, S.
author_facet de Lima, P. D. S.
De La Cour, R.
Gaff, K.
de Araújo, J. M.
Cox, S. J.
Ferreira, M. S.
Hutzler, S.
contents Mutually repelling particles form spontaneously ordered clusters when forced into confinement. The clusters may adopt similar spatial arrangements even if the underlying particle interactions are contrastingly different. Here we demonstrate with both simulations and experiments that it is possible to induce particles of very different types to self-assemble into the same ordered geometric structure by simply regulating the ratio between the repulsion and confining forces. This is the case for both long- and short-ranged potentials. This property is initially explored in systems with two-dimensional (2D) circular symmetry and subsequently demonstrated to be valid throughout the transition to one-dimensional (1D) structures through continuous elliptical deformations of the confining field. We argue that this feature can be utilized to manipulate the spatial structure of confined particles, thereby paving the way for the design of clusters with specific functionalities.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2506_19772
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Self-assembled clusters of mutually repelling particles in confinement
de Lima, P. D. S.
De La Cour, R.
Gaff, K.
de Araújo, J. M.
Cox, S. J.
Ferreira, M. S.
Hutzler, S.
Soft Condensed Matter
Mutually repelling particles form spontaneously ordered clusters when forced into confinement. The clusters may adopt similar spatial arrangements even if the underlying particle interactions are contrastingly different. Here we demonstrate with both simulations and experiments that it is possible to induce particles of very different types to self-assemble into the same ordered geometric structure by simply regulating the ratio between the repulsion and confining forces. This is the case for both long- and short-ranged potentials. This property is initially explored in systems with two-dimensional (2D) circular symmetry and subsequently demonstrated to be valid throughout the transition to one-dimensional (1D) structures through continuous elliptical deformations of the confining field. We argue that this feature can be utilized to manipulate the spatial structure of confined particles, thereby paving the way for the design of clusters with specific functionalities.
title Self-assembled clusters of mutually repelling particles in confinement
topic Soft Condensed Matter
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.19772