@article{StoopStraubeJohansenetal.2020, author = {Stoop, Ralph L. and Straube, Arthur and Johansen, Tom H. and Tierno, Pietro}, title = {Collective directional locking of colloidal monolayers on a periodic substrate}, volume = {124}, journal = {Phys. Rev. Lett.}, doi = {10.1103/PhysRevLett.124.058002}, pages = {058002}, year = {2020}, abstract = {We investigate the directional locking effects that arise when a monolayer of paramagnetic colloidal particles is driven across a triangular lattice of magnetic bubbles. We use an external rotating magnetic field to generate a two-dimensional traveling wave ratchet forcing the transport of particles along a direction that intersects two crystallographic axes of the lattice. We find that, while single particles show no preferred direction, collective effects induce transversal current and directional locking at high density via a spontaneous symmetry breaking. The colloidal current may be polarized via an additional bias field that makes one transport direction energetically preferred.}, language = {en} } @article{AbbottStraubeAartsetal.2019, author = {Abbott, Joshua L. and Straube, Arthur and Aarts, Dirk G. A. L. and Dullens, Roel P. A.}, title = {Transport of a colloidal particle driven across a temporally oscillating optical potential energy landscape}, volume = {21}, journal = {New J. Phys.}, doi = {10.1088/1367-2630/ab3765}, pages = {083027}, year = {2019}, abstract = {A colloidal particle is driven across a temporally oscillating one-dimensional optical potential energy landscape and its particle motion is analysed. Different modes of dynamic mode locking are observed and are confirmed with the use of phase portraits. The effect of the oscillation frequency on the mode locked step width is addressed and the results are discussed in light of a high-frequency theory and compared to simulations. Furthermore, the influence of the coupling between the particle and the optical landscape on mode locking is probed by increasing the maximum depth of the optical landscape. Stronger coupling is seen to increase the width of mode locked steps. Finally, transport across the temporally oscillating landscape is studied by measuring the effective diffusion coefficient of a mobile particle, which is seen to be highly sensitive to the driving velocity and mode locking.}, language = {en} } @article{StraubePagesTiernoetal.2019, author = {Straube, Arthur and Pag{\`e}s, Josep M. and Tierno, Pietro and Ign{\´e}s-Mullol, Jordi and Sagu{\´e}s, Francesc}, title = {Collective dynamics and conformal ordering in electrophoretically driven nematic colloids}, volume = {1}, journal = {Phys. Rev. Research}, doi = {10.1103/PhysRevResearch.1.022008}, pages = {022008}, year = {2019}, abstract = {We present a theoretical framework to understand the collective dynamics of an ensemble of electrophoretically driven colloidal particles that are forced to assemble around a single topological defect in a nematic liquid crystal by an alternating current electric field. Our generic model combines phoretic propulsion with electrostatic interactions and liquid-crystal-mediated hydrodynamics, which are effectively cast into a long-range interparticle repulsion, while nematic elasticity plays a subdominant role. Simulations based on this model fully capture the collective organization process observed in the experiments and other striking effects as the emergence of conformal ordering and a nearly frequency-independent repulsive interaction above 10Hz. Our results demonstrate the importance of hydrodynamic interactions on the assembly of driven microscale matter in anisotropic media.}, language = {en} } @article{StraubeKowalikNetzetal.2020, author = {Straube, Arthur and Kowalik, Bartosz G. and Netz, Roland R. and H{\"o}fling, Felix}, title = {Rapid onset of molecular friction in liquids bridging between the atomistic and hydrodynamic pictures}, volume = {3}, journal = {Commun. Phys.}, publisher = {Nature}, doi = {10.1038/s42005-020-0389-0}, pages = {126}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Friction in liquids arises from conservative forces between molecules and atoms. Although the hydrodynamics at the nanoscale is subject of intense research and despite the enormous interest in the non-Markovian dynamics of single molecules and solutes, the onset of friction from the atomistic scale so far could not be demonstrated. Here, we fill this gap based on frequency-resolved friction data from high-precision simulations of three prototypical liquids, including water. Combining with theory, we show that friction in liquids emerges abruptly at a characteristic frequency, beyond which viscous liquids appear as non-dissipative, elastic solids. Concomitantly, the molecules experience Brownian forces that display persistent correlations. A critical test of the generalised Stokes-Einstein relation, mapping the friction of single molecules to the visco-elastic response of the macroscopic sample, disproves the relation for Newtonian fluids, but substantiates it exemplarily for water and a moderately supercooled liquid. The employed approach is suitable to yield insights into vitrification mechanisms and the intriguing mechanical properties of soft materials.}, language = {en} } @article{CerecedaLopezOstinatoOrtizAmbrizetal.2024, author = {Cereceda-L{\´o}pez, Eric and Ostinato, Mattia and Ortiz-Ambriz, Antonio and Straube, Arthur and Palassini, Matteo and Tierno, Pietro}, title = {Excluded volume induces buckling in optically driven colloidal rings}, volume = {6}, journal = {Phys. Rev. Research}, arxiv = {http://arxiv.org/abs/2312.14047}, doi = {10.1103/PhysRevResearch.6.L012044}, pages = {L012044}, year = {2024}, abstract = {In our combined experimental, theoretical and numerical work, we study the out of equilibrium deformations in a shrinking ring of optically trapped, interacting colloidal particles. Steerable optical tweezers are used to confine dielectric microparticles along a circle of discrete harmonic potential wells, and to reduce the ring radius at a controlled quench speed. We show that excluded-volume interactions are enough to induce particle sliding from their equilibrium positions and nonequilibrium zigzag roughening of the colloidal structure. Our work unveils the underlying mechanism of interfacial deformation in radially driven microscopic discrete rings.}, language = {en} } @article{StraubeHoefling2024, author = {Straube, Arthur and H{\"o}fling, Felix}, title = {Memory effects in colloidal motion under confinement and driving}, volume = {57}, journal = {J. Phys. A: Math. Theor.}, publisher = {IOP Publishing}, issn = {1751-8113}, doi = {10.1088/1751-8121/ad5b2d}, pages = {295003}, year = {2024}, abstract = {The transport of individual particles in inhomogeneous environments is complex and exhibits non-Markovian responses. The latter may be quantified by a memory function within the framework of the linear generalised Langevin equation (GLE). Here, we exemplify the implications of steady driving on the memory function of a colloidal model system for Brownian motion in a corrugated potential landscape, specifically, for one-dimensional motion in a sinusoidal potential. To this end, we consider the overdamped limit of the GLE, which is facilitated by separating the memory function into a singular (Markovian) and a regular (non-Markovian) part. Relying on exact solutions for the investigated model, we show that the random force entering the GLE must display a bias far from equilibrium, which corroborates a recent general prediction. Based on data for the mean-square displacement (MSD) obtained from Brownian dynamics simulations, we estimate the memory function for different driving strengths and show that already moderate driving accelerates the decay of the memory function by several orders of magnitude in time. We find that the memory may persist on much longer timescales than expected from the convergence of the MSD to its long-time asymptote. Furthermore, the functional form of the memory function changes from a monotonic decay to a non-monotonic, damped oscillatory behaviour, which can be understood from a competition of confined motion and depinning. Our analysis of the simulation data further reveals a pronounced non-Gaussianity, which questions the Gaussian approximation of the random force entering the GLE.}, language = {en} } @article{BonifaceStraubeTierno2024, author = {Boniface, Dolachai and Straube, Arthur and Tierno, Pietro}, title = {Photocatalytic magnetic microgyroscopes with activity-tunable precessional dynamics}, volume = {24}, journal = {Nano Letters}, number = {47}, arxiv = {http://arxiv.org/abs/2407.11640}, doi = {10.1021/acs.nanolett.4c03386}, pages = {14950 -- 14956}, year = {2024}, abstract = {Magnetic nano/microrotors are passive elements that spin around an axis due to an external rotating field while remaining confined to a close plane. They have been used to date in different applications related to fluid mixing, drug delivery or biomedicine. Here we realize an active version of a magnetic microgyroscope which is simultaneously driven by a photo-activated catalytic reaction and a rotating magnetic field. We investigate the uplift dynamics of this colloidal spinner when it stands up and precesses around its long axis while self-propelling due to the light induced decomposition of hydrogen peroxide in water. By combining experiments with theory, we show that activity emerging from the cooperative action of phoretic and osmotic forces effectively increase the gravitational torque which counteracts the magnetic and viscous ones, and carefully measure its contribution.}, language = {en} } @article{HoeflingStraube2025, author = {H{\"o}fling, Felix and Straube, Arthur}, title = {Langevin equations and a geometric integration scheme for the overdamped limit of rotational Brownian motion of axisymmetric particles}, volume = {7}, journal = {Physical Review Research}, arxiv = {http://arxiv.org/abs/2403.04501}, doi = {10.1103/wzdn-29p4}, pages = {043034}, year = {2025}, abstract = {The translational motion of anisotropic or self-propelled colloidal particles is closely linked with the particle's orientation and its rotational Brownian motion. In the overdamped limit, the stochastic evolution of the orientation vector follows a diffusion process on the unit sphere and is characterized by an orientation-dependent ("multiplicative") noise. As a consequence, the corresponding Langevin equation attains different forms depending on whether Itō's or Stratonovich's stochastic calculus is used. We clarify that both forms are equivalent and derive them in a top-down approach from a geometric construction of Brownian motion on the unit sphere, based on infinitesimal random rotations. Our approach suggests further a geometric integration scheme for rotational Brownian motion, which preserves the normalization constraint of the orientation vector exactly. We show that a simple implementation of the scheme, using Gaussian random rotations, converges weakly at order 1 of the integration time step, and we outline an advanced variant of the scheme that is weakly exact for an arbitrarily large time step. Due to a favorable prefactor of the discretization error, already the Gaussian scheme allows for integration time steps that are one order of magnitude larger compared to a commonly used algorithm for rotational Brownian dynamics simulations based on projection on the constraining manifold. For torques originating from constant external fields, we prove by virtue of the Fokker-Planck equation that the constructed diffusion process satisfies detailed balance and converges to the correct equilibrium distribution. The analysis is restricted to time-homogeneous rotational Brownian motion (i.e., a single rotational diffusion constant), which is relevant for axisymmetric particles and also chemically anisotropic spheres, such as self-propelled Janus particles.}, language = {en} } @article{StraubeHoefling2024, author = {Straube, Arthur and H{\"o}fling, Felix}, title = {Depinning transition of self-propelled particles}, volume = {110}, journal = {Physical Review E}, number = {6}, arxiv = {http://arxiv.org/abs/2306.09150}, doi = {10.1103/PhysRevE.110.L062601}, pages = {L062601}, year = {2024}, abstract = {For self-propelled particles in a corrugated potential landscape, we describe a discontinuous change of the classical depinning transition and a host of unique behaviors sensitive to the persistence of the propulsion direction. Exact and semianalytic results for active Brownian particles corroborate a creep regime with a superexponentially suppressed drift velocity upon lowering the force towards the threshold value. This unusual nonlinear response emerges from the competition of two critical scaling laws with exponents of 1/2 for rapidly reorienting particles and 𝑑/2 for particles with a persistent orientation; the latter case depends on the dimensionality 𝑑 of rotational motion and also includes run-and-tumble particles. Additionally, different giant diffusion phenomena occur in the two regimes. Our findings extend to random dynamics with bounded noise near a saddle-node bifurcation and have potential applications in various nonequilibrium problems, including arrested active matter and cell migration.}, language = {en} } @article{StraubeOliconMendezWinkelmannetal.2025, author = {Straube, Arthur and Olic{\´o}n M{\´e}ndez, Guillermo and Winkelmann, Stefanie and H{\"o}fling, Felix and Engel, Maximilian}, title = {Unfolding the geometric structure and multiple timescales of the urea-urease pH oscillator}, arxiv = {http://arxiv.org/abs/2508.07275}, year = {2025}, abstract = {We study a two-variable dynamical system modeling pH oscillations in the urea-urease reaction within giant lipid vesicles - a problem that intrinsically contains multiple, well-separated timescales. Building on an existing, deterministic formulation via ordinary differential equations, we resolve different orders of magnitude within a small parameter and analyze the system's limit cycle behavior using geometric singular perturbation theory (GSPT). By introducing two different coordinate scalings - each valid in a distinct region of the phase space - we resolve the local dynamics near critical fold points, using the extension of GSPT through such singular points due to Krupa and Szmolyan. This framework enables a geometric decomposition of the periodic orbits into slow and fast segments and yields closed-form estimates for the period of oscillation. In particular, we link the existence of such oscillations to an underlying biochemical asymmetry, namely, the differential transport across the vesicle membrane.}, language = {en} }