214 research outputs found
Local Melting and Drag for a Particle Driven Through a Colloidal Crystal
We numerically investigate a colloidal particle driven through a colloidal
crystal as a function of temperature. When the charge of the driven particle is
larger or comparable to that of the colloids comprising the crystal, a local
melting can occur, characterized by defect generation in the lattice
surrounding the driven particle. The generation of the defects is accompanied
by an increase in the drag force on the driven particle, as well as large noise
fluctuations. We discuss the similarities of these results to the peak effect
phenomena observed for vortices in superconductors.Comment: 4 pages, 4 postscript figure
Pinning and Dynamics of Colloids on One Dimensional Periodic Potentials
Using numerical simulations we study the pinning and dynamics of interacting
colloids on periodic one-dimensional substrates. As a function of colloid
density, temperature, and substrate strength, we find a variety of pinned and
dynamic states including pinned smectic, pinned buckled, two-phase flow, and
moving partially ordered structures. We show that for increasing colloid
density, peaks in the depinning threshold occur at commensurate states. The
scaling of the pinning threshold versus substrate strength changes when the
colloids undergo a transition from one-dimensional chains to a buckled
configuration.Comment: 4 pages, 4 postscript figure
Dynamics, Rectification, and Fractionalization for Colloids on Flashing Substrates
We show that a rich variety of dynamic phases can be realized for mono- and
bidisperse mixtures of interacting colloids under the influence of a symmetric
flashing periodic substrate. With the addition of dc or ac drives, phase
locking, jamming, and new types of ratchet effects occur. In some regimes we
find that the addition of a non-ratcheting species increases the velocity of
the ratcheting particles. We show that these effects occur due to the
collective interactions of the colloids.Comment: 4 pages, 4 postscript figures. Version to appear in Phys. Rev. Let
Collective Sliding States for Colloidal Molecular Crystals
We study the driving of colloidal molecular crystals over periodic substrates
such as those created with optical traps. The n-merization that occurs in the
colloidal molecular crystal states produces a remarkably rich variety of
distinct dynamical behaviors, including polarization effects within the pinned
phase and the formation of both ordered and disordered sliding phases. Using
computer simulations, we map the dynamic phase diagrams as a function of
substrate strength for dimers and trimers on a triangular substrate, and
correlate features on the phase diagram with transport signatures.Comment: 4 pages, 5 postscript figure
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