“Self-assembly of Janus particles confined in a channel”. Sobrino Fernandez M, Misko VR, Peeters FM, Physical review : E : statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics 89, 022306 (2014). http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.89.022306
Abstract: Janus particles present an important class of building blocks for directional assembly. These are compartmentalized colloids with two different hemispheres. Here, we consider a two-dimensional model of Janus disks consisting of a hydrophobic semicircle and an electro-negatively charged one. Placed in a solution, the hydrophobic sides will attract each other while the charged sides will give rise to a repulsive force. Using molecular dynamics simulations, we study the morphology of these particles when confined in a channel-like environment using a one dimensional harmonic confinement potential. The interest to this system is first of all due to the fact that it could serve as a simple model for membrane formation. Indeed, the recently synthesized new class of artificial amphiphiles, known as Janus dendrimers, were shown to self-assemble in bilayer structures mimicking biological membranes. In turn, Janus particles that combine the amphiphilicity and colloidal rigidity serve as a good model for Janus dendrimers. A variety of ordered membrane-like morphologies are found consisting of single and multiple chain configurations with different orientations of the particles with respect to each other that we summarize in a phase diagram.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT)
Impact Factor: 2.366
Times cited: 11
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevE.89.022306
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“Single-file diffusion in periodic energy landscapes : the role of hydrodynamic interactions”. Euán-Díaz EC, Misko VR, Peeters FM, Herrera-Velarde S, Castaneda-Priego R, Physical review : E : statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics 86, 031123 (2012). http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.86.031123
Abstract: We report on the dynamical properties of interacting colloids confined to one dimension and subjected to external periodic energy landscapes. We particularly focus on the influence of hydrodynamic interactions on the mean-square displacement. Using Brownian dynamics simulations, we study colloidal systems with two types of repulsive interparticle interactions, namely, Yukawa and superparamagnetic potentials. We find that in the homogeneous case, hydrodynamic interactions lead to an enhancement of the particle mobility and the mean-square displacement at long times scales as t(alpha), with alpha = 1/2 + epsilon and epsilon being a small correction. This correction, however, becomes much more important in the presence of an external field, which breaks the homogeneity of the particle distribution along the line and, therefore, promotes a richer dynamical scenario due to the hydrodynamical coupling among particles. We provide here the complete dynamical scenario in terms of the external potential parameters: amplitude and commensurability.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT)
Impact Factor: 2.366
Times cited: 14
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevE.86.031123
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“Transition from single-file to two-dimensional diffusion of interacting particles in a quasi-one-dimensional channel”. Lucena D, Tkachenko DV, Nelissen K, Misko VR, Ferreira WP, Farias GA, Peeters FM, Physical review : E : statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics 85, 031147 (2012). http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.85.031147
Abstract: Diffusive properties of a monodisperse system of interacting particles confined to a quasi-one-dimensional channel are studied using molecular dynamics simulations. We calculate numerically the mean-squared displacement (MSD) and investigate the influence of the width of the channel (or the strength of the confinement potential) on diffusion in finite-size channels of different shapes (i.e., straight and circular). The transition from single-file diffusion to the two-dimensional diffusion regime is investigated. This transition [ regarding the calculation of the scaling exponent (alpha) of the MSD <Delta x(2)(t)> proportional to t(alpha)] as a function of the width of the channel is shown to change depending on the channel's confinement profile. In particular, the transition can be either smooth (i.e., for a parabolic confinement potential) or rather sharp (i.e., for a hard-wall potential), as distinct from infinite channels where this transition is abrupt. This result can be explained by qualitatively different distributions of the particle density for the different confinement potentials.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT)
Impact Factor: 2.366
Times cited: 38
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevE.85.031147
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“Confined Catalytic Janus Swimmers in a Crowded Channel: Geometry-Driven Rectification Transients and Directional Locking”. Yu H, Kopach A, Misko VR, Vasylenko AA, Makarov D, Marchesoni F, Nori F, Baraban L, Cuniberti G, Small 12, 5882 (2016). http://doi.org/10.1002/SMLL.201602039
Abstract: Self-propelled Janus particles, acting as microscopic vehicles, have the potential to perform complex tasks on a microscopic scale, suitable, e.g., for environmental applications, on-chip chemical information processing, or in vivo drug delivery. Development of these smart nanodevices requires a better understanding of how synthetic swimmers move in crowded and confined environments that mimic actual biosystems, e.g., network of blood vessels. Here, the dynamics of self-propelled Janus particles interacting with catalytically passive silica beads in a narrow channel is studied both experimentally and through numerical simulations. Upon varying the area density of the silica beads and the width of the channel, active transport reveals a number of intriguing properties, which range from distinct bulk and boundary-free diffusivity at low densities, to directional “locking” and channel “unclogging” at higher densities, whereby a Janus swimmer is capable of transporting large clusters of passive particles.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT)
Impact Factor: 8.643
Times cited: 14
DOI: 10.1002/SMLL.201602039
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“Formation of vortex clusters and giant vortices in mesoscopic superconducting disks with strong disorder”. Escoffier W, Grigorieva IV, Misko VR, Baelus BJ, Peeters FM, Vinnikov LY, Dubnos S, Journal of physics : conference series 97, 012172 (2008). http://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/97/1/012172
Abstract: Merged, or giant, multi-quanta vortices (GVs) appear in very small superconductors near the superconducting transition due to strong confinement of magnetic flux. Here we present evidence for a new, pinning-related, mechanism for vortex merger. Using Bitter decoration to visualise vortices in small Nb disks, we show that confinement in combination with strong disorder causes individual vortices to merge into clusters/GVs well below Tc and Hc2, in contrast to well-defined shells of individual vortices found in the absence of pinning.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT)
DOI: 10.1088/1742-6596/97/1/012172
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“Using self-driven microswimmers for particle separation”. Yang W, Misko VR, Nelissen K, Kong M, Peeters FM, Soft matter 8, 5175 (2012). http://doi.org/10.1039/c2sm07382j
Abstract: Microscopic self-propelled swimmers capable of autonomous navigation through complex environments provide appealing opportunities for localization, pick-up and delivery of micro and nanoscopic objects. Inspired by motile cells and bacteria, man-made microswimmers have been fabricated, and their motion in patterned surroundings has been experimentally studied. We propose to use self-driven artificial microswimmers for the separation of binary mixtures of colloids. We revealed different regimes of separation, including one with a velocity inversion. Our findings could be of use for various biological and medical applications.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT)
Impact Factor: 3.889
Times cited: 45
DOI: 10.1039/c2sm07382j
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“Reentrant dynamics of driven pancake vortices in layered superconductors”. Zhao HJ, Wu W, Zhou W, Shi ZX, Misko VR, Peeters FM, Physical review B 94, 024514 (2016). http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.94.024514
Abstract: The dynamics of driven pancake vortices in layered superconductors is studied using molecular-dynamics simulations. We found that, with increasing driving force, for strong interlayer coupling, the preexisted vortex lines either directly depin or first transform to two-dimensional (2D) pinned states before they are depinned, depending on the pinning strength. In a narrow region of pinning strengths, we found an interesting repinning process, which results in a negative differential resistance. For weak interlayer coupling, individually pinned pancake vortices first form disordered 2D flow and then transform to ordered three-dimensional (3D) flow with increasing driving force. However, for extremely strong pinning, the random pinning-induced thermal-like Langevin forces melt 3D vortex lines, which results in a persistent 2D flow in the fast-sliding regime. In the intermediate regime, the peak effect is found: With increasing driving force, the moving pancake vortices first crystallize to moving 3D vortex lines, and then these 3D vortex lines are melted, leading to the appearance of a reentrant 2D flow state. Our results are summarized in a dynamical phase diagram.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT)
Impact Factor: 3.836
Times cited: 3
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevB.94.024514
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“Pattern formation in vortex matter with pinning and frustrated intervortex interactions”. Zhao HJ, Misko VR, Tempere J, Nori F, Physical review B 95, 104519 (2017). http://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVB.95.104519
Abstract: We investigate the effects related to vortex-core deformations when vortices approach each other. As a result of these vortex-core deformations, the vortex-vortex interaction effectively acquires an attractive component leading to a variety of vortex patterns typical for systems with nonmonotonic repulsive-attractive interaction, such as stripes and labyrinths. The core deformations are anisotropic and can induce frustration in the vortex-vortex interaction. In turn, this frustration has an impact on the resulting vortex patterns, which are analyzed in the presence of additional random pinning, as a function of the pinning strength. This analysis can be applicable to vortices in multiband superconductors or to vortices in Bose-Einstein condensates.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Theory of quantum systems and complex systems; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT)
Impact Factor: 3.836
Times cited: 5
DOI: 10.1103/PHYSREVB.95.104519
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“Artificial living crystals in confined environment”. Yang W, Misko VR, Tempère J, Kong M, Peeters FM, Physical Review E 95, 062602 (2017). http://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVE.95.062602
Abstract: Similar to the spontaneous formation of colonies of bacteria, flocks of birds, or schools of fish, “living crystals” can be formed by artificial self-propelled particles such as Janus colloids. Unlike usual solids, these “crystals” are far from thermodynamic equilibrium. They fluctuate in time forming a crystalline structure, breaking apart and re-forming again. We propose a method to stabilize living crystals by applying a weak confinement potential that does not suppress the ability of the particles to perform self-propelled motion, but it stabilizes the structure and shape of the dynamical clusters. This gives rise to such configurations of living crystals as “living shells” formed by Janus colloids. Moreover, the shape of the stable living clusters can be controlled by tuning the potential strength. Our proposal can be verified experimentally with either artificial microswimmers such as Janus colloids, or with living active matter.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Theory of quantum systems and complex systems; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT)
Impact Factor: 2.366
Times cited: 10
DOI: 10.1103/PHYSREVE.95.062602
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