arXiv subjects

Benoît Mahault

Publications and source records attributed to Benoît Mahault.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Non-reciprocal interactions between condensates in chemically active mixtures

We study the behaviour of catalytically active droplets in multi-component conserved mixtures affected by noise. Working in the thin interface limit, we analytically determine the state diagram of the system, characterized by multiple dynamical regimes, and verify our findings using numerical simulations. In particular, we show the emergence of a non-reciprocal, chemically-mediated interaction between the droplets, which leads to the formation of (meta-)stable clusters of droplets of different species. We find that the clusters can display self-propulsion in a large part of the parameter space, including regions where the non-reciprocal interactions between the droplets are purely attractive. This surprising feature arises from the non-local nature of the chemical interactions, and points to locality violations as a general mechanism for energy dissipation and emergence of out-of-equilibrium steady states in active matter.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2026

Density-protected states in active matter under virtual confinement

We investigate photo-responsive structure formation in a minimal model of dry active nematics. Combining microscopic simulations with the analysis of the corresponding hydrodynamic theory, we show that the system generically self-assembles into a dense, nematically ordered ring at the boundary of compact illumination patterns. Remarkably, this boundary structure gives rise to a disordered core whose density is self-selected and independent of the global particle density. Our analysis reveals that these protected states emerge from a generic interplay between local nematic alignment and curvature-driven active currents. These results identify a robust route to boundary-induced structure formation in active matter and provide experimentally testable predictions.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2026

Breakdown of Emergent Chiral Order and Defect Chaos in Nonreciprocal Flocks

We show that chiral order in two-dimensional nonreciprocal flocking mixtures is generically unstable. Combining large-scale agent-based simulations with a coarse-grained continuum description, we demonstrate that rotating chiral states emerging from antisymmetric couplings are destroyed by the proliferation of topological defects. The resulting dynamics is spatiotemporally chaotic and characterized by a finite correlation length that diverges as nonreciprocity vanishes. On length scales below this cutoff, density and orientational order fluctuations remain scale-free, but the associated scaling exhibits nonuniversal exponents. We attribute this atypical behavior to the coupling between density and order, which causes topological defects to act as persistent sources of nonlinear fluctuations.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2026

Nonequilibrium energetics of sensing and actuation by a smart active particle

Smart active agents must allocate finite energetic resources across distinct functions, yet the underlying thermodynamic trade-offs remain poorly understood. Here, we introduce a minimal model of a self-steering particle with an internal polarity-cue sensor coupled to an external environmental field, decomposing its steady-state entropy production rate into locomotion, actuation, and sensing costs. This separation exposes an energetic bookkeeping structure underlying even the simplest form of embodied navigation. The emergence of Pareto fronts linking energetic expenditure to localisation precision and path-following performance shows that feedback-controlled active motion is constrained by quantitative thermodynamic bounds that persist across distinct task geometries.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2026

XY Model with Persistent Noise

We consider a 2D XY model subjected to time-correlated noise, a model of direct relevance to active crystals, which were shown recently to be able to support very large deformations without melting in the presence of persistent fluctuations. We find that our persistent XY model can remain quasi-ordered in spite of correlations decaying much faster than allowed in equilibrium. We then investigate theoretically and numerically the order-disorder transition and conclude that it remains of the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless type, but with scaling exponents that vary with the persistence time of the noise.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2026

Nonreciprocity as a Generic Mechanism for Demixing in Flocking Mixtures

We show that even weak nonreciprocal alignment leads to large-scale structure formation in flocking mixtures. By combining numerical simulations of a binary Vicsek model and the analysis of coarse-grained continuum equations, we demonstrate that nonreciprocity destabilizes the ordered phase formed by mutually aligning or anti-aligning species in a large part of the phase diagram. For aligning populations, this instability results in one species condensing in a single band that travels within a homogeneous liquid of the other species. When interactions are anti-aligning, both species self-assemble into polar clusters with large-scale chaotic dynamics. In both cases, the emergence of structures is accompanied by the demixing of the two species, despite the absence of repulsive interactions. Our theoretical analysis allows us to elucidate the origin of the instability, and show that it is generic to nonreciprocal flocks.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2025

Dynamics of Phase-Separated Interfaces in Inhomogenous and Driven Mixtures

We derive effective equations of motion governing the dynamics of sharp interfaces in phase-separated binary mixtures driven by spatio-temporal modulations of their material properties. We demonstrate, in particular, that spatial heterogeneities in the surface tension induce an effective capillary force that drives the motion of interfaces, even in the absence of hydrodynamics. Applying our sharp interface model to quantify the dynamics of thermophoretic droplets, we find that their deformation and transport properties are controlled by a combination of bulk and capillary forces, whose relative strength depends on droplet size. Strikingly, we show that small thermophobic droplets -- composed of a material with a positive Soret coefficient -- can spontaneously migrate towards high-temperature regions as a result of capillary forces.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2024

Phase Coexistence in Nonreciprocal Quorum-Sensing Active Matter

Motility and nonreciprocity are two primary mechanisms for self-organization in active matter. In a recent study [Phys. Rev. Lett. 131, 148301 (2023)], we explored their joint influence in a minimal model of two-species quorum-sensing active particles interacting via mutual motility regulation. Our results notably revealed a highly dynamic phase of chaotic chasing bands that is absent when either nonreciprocity or self-propulsion is missing. Here, we examine further the phase behavior of nonreciprocal quorum-sensing active particles, distinguishing between the regimes of weak and strong nonreciprocity. In the weakly nonreciprocal regime, this system exhibits multi-component motility-induced phase separation. We establish an analytical criterion for the associated phase coexistence, enabling a quantitative prediction of the phase diagram. For strong nonreciprocity, where the dynamics is chase-and-run-like, we numerically determine the phase behavior and show that it strongly depends on the scale of observation. In small systems, our numerical simulations reveal a phenomenology consistent with phenomenological models, comprising traveling phase-separated domains and spiral-like defect patterns. However, we show that these structures are generically unstable in large systems, where they are superseded by bulk phase coexistence between domains that are either homogeneous or populated by mesoscopic chasing bands. Crucially, this implies that collective motion totally vanishes at large scales, while the breakdown of our analytical criterion for this phase coexistence with multi-scale structures prevents us from predicting the corresponding phase diagram.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2024

Dissipation-accuracy tradeoffs in autonomous control of smart active matter

The study of motility control by smart agents offers a promising platform for systematically exploring the fundamental physical constraints underlying the functioning of bio-inspired micro-machines operating far from equilibrium. Here, we address the question of the energy cost required for a self-steering active agent to localise itself within a specific region of space or follow a pre-defined trajectory under the influence of fluctuations and external flows. Building on a stochastic thermodynamic formulation of the problem, we derive a generic relationship between dissipation and localisation accuracy, which reveals a fundamental dissipation-accuracy tradeoff constraining the agent's performance. In addition, we illustrate how our framework enables the derivation of optimal steering policies that achieve localisation at minimum energy expenditure.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2024

Collective self-caging of active filaments in virtual confinement

Motility coupled to responsive behavior is essential for many microorganisms to seek and establish appropriate habitats. One of the simplest possible responses, reversing the direction of motion, is believed to enable filamentous cyanobacteria to form stable aggregates or accumulate in suitable light conditions. Here, we demonstrate that filamentous morphology in combination with responding to light gradients by reversals has consequences far beyond simple accumulation: Entangled aggregates form at the boundaries of illuminated regions, harnessing the boundary to establish local order. We explore how the light pattern, in particular its boundary curvature, impacts aggregation. A minimal mechanistic model of active flexible filaments resembles the experimental findings, thereby revealing the emergent and generic character of these structures. This phenomenon may enable elongated microorganisms to generate adaptive colony architectures in limited habitats, or guide the assembly of biomimetic fibrous materials.

physics.bio-ph↗

arXiv2024

Dynamical theory of topological defects II: Universal aspects of defect motion

We study the dynamics of topological defects in continuum theories governed by a free energy minimization principle, building on our recently developed framework [Romano J, Mahault B and Golestanian R 2023 J. Stat. Mech.: Theory Exp. 083211]. We show how the equation of motion of point defects, domain walls, disclination lines and any other singularity can be understood with one unifying mathematical framework. For disclination lines, this also allows us to study the interplay between the internal line tension and the interaction with other lines. This interplay is non-trivial, allowing defect loops to expand, instead of contracting, due to external interaction. We also use this framework to obtain an analytical description of two long-lasting problems in point defect motion, namely the scale dependence of the defect mobility and the role of elastic anisotropy in the motion of defects in liquid crystals. For the former, we show that the effective defect mobility is strongly problem-dependent, but it can be computed with high accuracy for a pair of annihilating defects. For the latter, we show that at the first order in perturbation theory, anisotropy causes a non-radial force, making the trajectory of annihilating defects deviate from a straight line. At higher orders, it also induces a correction in the mobility, which becomes non-isotropic for the $+1/2$ defect. We argue that, due to its generality, our method can help to shed light on the motion of singularities in many different systems, including driven and active non-equilibrium theories.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2023

Dynamical pattern formation without self-attraction in quorum-sensing active matter: the interplay between nonreciprocity and motility

We study a minimal model involving two species of particles interacting via quorum-sensing rules. Combining simulations of the microscopic model and linear stability analysis of the associated coarse-grained field theory, we identify a mechanism for dynamical pattern formation that does not rely on the standard route of intra-species effective attractive interactions. Instead, our results reveal a highly dynamical phase of chasing bands induced only by the combined effects of self-propulsion and nonreciprocity in the inter-species couplings. Turning on self-attraction, we find that the system may phase separate into a macroscopic domain of such chaotic chasing bands coexisting with a dilute gas. We show that the chaotic dynamics of bands at the interfaces of this phase-separated phase results in anomalously slow coarsening.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2023

Comment on "Flocking without Alignment Interactions in Attractive Active Brownian Particles [arXiv:2303.07746]"

In a recent Letter, Caprini and Löwen argue that attractive active Brownian particles can flock even in the absence of explicit aligning interactions of their velocities. In this comment, I show that the phenomenology described in [Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 130}, 148202 (2023)] in fact lacks several defining features of flocking, such as long-range correlations and large-scale directed motion.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2023

Energetic cost of microswimmer navigation: the role of body shape

We study the energetic efficiency of navigating microswimmers by explicitly taking into account the geometry of their body. We show that, as their shape transitions from prolate to oblate, non-steering microswimmers rotated by flow gradients naturally follow increasingly time-optimal trajectories. At the same time, they also require larger dissipation to swim. The coupling between body geometry and hydrodynamics thus leads to a generic trade-off between the energetic costs associated with propulsion and navigation, which is accompanied by the selection of a finite optimal aspect ratio. We derive from optimal control theory the steering policy ensuring overall minimum energy dissipation, and characterize how navigation performances vary with the swimmer shape. Our results highlight the important role of the swimmer geometry in realistic navigation problems.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2023

Dynamical theory of topological defects I: the multivalued solution of the diffusion equation

Point-like topological defects are singular configurations that occur in a variety of in and out of equilibrium systems with two-dimensional orientational order. As they are associated with a nonzero circuitation condition, the presence of defects induces a long-range perturbation of the orientation landscape around them. The effective dynamics of defects is thus generally described in terms of quasi-particles interacting through the orientation field they produce, whose evolution in the simplest setting is governed by the diffusion equation. Due to the multivalued nature of the orientation field, its expression for a defect moving with an arbitrary trajectory cannot be obtained straightforwardly and is often evaluated in the quasi-static approximation. Here, we instead propose an approach that allows to derive the exact expression for the orientation created by multiple moving defects, which we find to depend on their past trajectories and thus to be nonlocal in time. Performing various expansions in relevant regimes, we show how improved approximations with respect to the quasi-static defect solution can be obtained. Moreover, our results lead to so far unnoticed structures in the orientation field of moving defects which we discuss in light of existing experimental results.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2023

Emergent Organization and Polarization due to Active Fluctuations

We introduce and study a model of active Brownian motion with multiplicative noise describing fluctuations in the self-propulsion or activity. We find that the standard picture of density accumulation in slow regions is qualitatively modified by active fluctuations, as stationary density profiles are generally not determined only by the mean self-propulsion speed landscape. As a result, activity gradients generically correlate the particle self-propulsion speed and orientation, leading to emergent polarization at interfaces pointing either towards dense or dilute regions depending on the amount of noise in the system. We discuss how active noise affects the emergence of motility induced phase separation. Our work provides a foundation for systematic studies of active matter self-organization in the presence of activity landscapes and active fluctuations.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2023

Reentrant condensation transition in a model of driven scalar active matter with diffusivity edge

The effect of a diffusivity edge is studied in a system of scalar active matter confined by a periodic potential and driven by an externally applied force. We find that this system shows qualitatively distinct stationary regimes depending on the amplitude of the driving force with respect to the potential barrier. For small driving, the diffusivity edge induces a transition to a condensed phase analogous to the Bose-Einstein-like condensation reported for the nondriven case, which is characterized by a density-independent steady state current. Conversely, large external forces lead to a qualitatively different phase diagram since in this case condensation is only possible beyond a given density threshold, while the associated transition at higher densities is found to be reentrant.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2022

Optimal navigation of microswimmers in complex and noisy environments

We design new navigation strategies for travel time optimization of microscopic self-propelled particles in complex and noisy environments. In contrast to strategies relying on the results of optimal control theory, these protocols allow for semi-autonomous navigation as they do not require control over the microswimmer motion via external feedback loops. Although the strategies we propose rely on simple principles, they show arrival time statistics strikingly similar to those obtained from stochastic optimal control theory, as well as performances that are robust to environmental changes and strong fluctuations. These features, as well as their applicability to more general optimization problems, make these strategies promising candidates for the realization of optimized semi-autonomous navigation.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗