Glassy Ratchets for Collectively Interacting Particles

C. Reichhardt; C. J. Olson Reichhardt; M. B. Hastings

doi:10.1016/j.physleta.2005.05.031

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arXiv · cond-mat/0308097

Glassy Ratchets for Collectively Interacting Particles

C. Reichhardt·C. J. Olson Reichhardt·M. B. Hastings

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Abstract

We show that ratchet effects can occur in a glassy media of interacting particles where there is no quenched substrate. We consider simulations of a disordered binary assembly of colloids in which only one species responds to a drive. We apply an asymmetric ac drive that would produce no net dc drift of an isolated overdamped particle. When interacting particles are present, the asymmetric ac drive produces a ratchet effect. A simple model captures many of the results from simulations, including flux reversals as a function of density and temperature.

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C. Reichhardt, C. J. Olson Reichhardt, M. B. Hastings. 2003-08-05. Glassy Ratchets for Collectively Interacting Particles. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physleta.2005.05.031

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