arXiv subjects

Raphaël Maire

Publications and source records attributed to Raphaël Maire.

11 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Topology of Fluctuation Bands in Chiral Active Crystals

While band topology is usually associated with the deterministic dynamics of a system, we show that it can instead reside in its fluctuations. Using a reciprocal lattice driven by nonequilibrium chiral active noise, we find that the displacement spectrum---which quantifies displacement fluctuations---admits bands with nonzero Chern numbers despite a Chern-trivial deterministic mechanics. A two-band valley theory captures the emergence of this topology through a Dirac mass inversion, a Haldane-type mechanism, or a quadratic band touching, depending on the relevant transition. Through the bulk--boundary correspondence, we find boundary-localized fluctuation modes that are distinct from the usual propagating mechanical edge states.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2026

Chiral Dynamics of an Intruder across Dilute and Hydrodynamic Regimes

We introduce and simulate an analytically tractable model for an intruder of arbitrary shape in a nonequilibrium bath, with chirality originating from the bath, the intruder, or their coupling. In the dilute regime, a Langevin description derived from a Boltzmann-Lorentz equation shows how intruder geometry governs ratchet effects and odd response. In the dense regime, the dynamics of the intruder are instead governed by the hydrodynamic modes of the bath and edge currents, which are described by a Stokes equation including a chiral torque density. Our results link shape to chiral transport and show that odd response arises from distinct mechanisms in the dilute and dense limits.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2026

Kinetic and Hydrodynamic Theories of Chiral Intruder Dynamics in Nonequilibrium Baths

We study the chiral dynamics of an intruder immersed in a nonequilibrium bath in two complementary limits: the dilute kinetic regime and the dense hydrodynamic regime. In the dilute limit, starting from a Boltzmann-Lorentz description, we derive an effective Langevin equation whose coefficients are given explicitly by geometry-dependent boundary integrals. This formulation separates the effects of intruder-shape chirality from those of chiral intruder-bath interactions. We find that the chiral interactions generate an odd response and a torque, whereas the chirality of the intruder leads to a ratchet effect. We also show that fluctuation-dissipation-like relations exist and that certain symmetry-allowed couplings vanish in the dilute regime. In the dense regime, we argue that intruder dynamics are governed primarily by bath hydrodynamics and torque-density-driven edge currents not captured by the previous framework. These currents can generate both an antisymmetric drag and a curvature-induced torque, leading to an antisymmetric response when inertia is accounted for. Taken together, these results provide a step toward understanding the mechanisms governing the chiral dynamics of an intruder in a nonequilibrium bath across different scales.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2026

Curvature-driven wall accumulation in chiral active particles

We study a dilute system of non-motile chiral active particles confined in geometries ranging from straight channels to circular enclosures. Activity is introduced through chiral particle-wall interactions, modeled as tangential wall forces that generate the edge currents characteristic of chiral active matter. Remarkably, although the particles lack self-propulsion, these boundary currents induce density inhomogeneities. We show that boundary curvature drives a wall accumulation phenomenon: particles remain uniformly distributed in straight channels but accumulate near the boundaries of circular confinements. Numerical simulations and a hydrodynamic theory for the density and momentum fields consistently capture this curvature-induced wall-accumulation. These results identify boundary curvature as a fundamental control parameter for chiral edge transport and confinement-induced organization, with potential experimental relevance to spinning colloids and granular spinners.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2026

Hyperuniformity in active fluids reshapes nucleation and capillary-wave dynamics

While nucleation in typical active and driven fluids often appears equilibrium-like, striking departures emerge when large-scale fluctuations are strongly suppressed. Here, we investigate nucleation in nonequilibrium hyperuniform fluids by projecting the full density-field dynamics onto relevant collective variables. We demonstrate that nucleation is governed by a nonequilibrium quasipotential rather than the reversible work of formation. Surprisingly, because of the reduced hyperuniform fluctuations, the nucleation probability no longer separates into the usual surface and volume contributions. Furthermore, accounting for capillary waves reveals a clear breakdown of detailed balance driven by nonreciprocal dynamics. More broadly, our framework can be readily extended to identify nonequilibrium signatures in conventional active fluids.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2026

Sparkling bubbles in chiral active fluids

We study an inertial chiral active fluid, formed by repulsive particles that transfer angular momentum through odd interactions, i.e. transverse forces. Chirality induces an inhomogeneous phase, consisting of rotating bubbles, whose formation is favored at an optimal packing fraction. In this regime, we discover that bubbles may be dynamically unstable, breaking up and reforming in the steady state, thereby showing a spontaneous sparkling-like behavior reminiscent of supersaturated liquids. Bubbles and sparkling bubbles are predicted by a coarse-grained hydrodynamic theory, revealing the intrinsic non-linearity of these collective phenomena, and call for experimental verifications in granular spinners or spinning colloids.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2026

Conservation laws and slow dynamics determine the universality class of interfaces in active matter

While equilibrium interfaces display universal large-scale statistics, interfaces in phase-separated active and driven systems are predicted to belong to distinct non-equilibrium universality classes. Yet, such behavior has proven difficult to observe, with most systems exhibiting equilibrium-like fluctuations despite their strongly non-equilibrium microscopic dynamics. We introduce a hard-disk model driven by active collisions, conceived as an effective 2D description of a vibrofluidized granular system that, contrary to self-propelled models, displays clear non-equilibrium interfacial scaling. We observe for the first time, the $|\boldsymbol q|$KPZ and wet-$|\boldsymbol q|$KPZ universality classes while revealing a new, previously overlooked universality class arising in systems with slow solid-like or glassy dynamics. Conservation laws and slow dynamics select these distinct classes.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2026

Self-assembly of quasicrystals under cyclic shear

We investigate the self-assembly of two-dimensional dodecagonal quasicrystals driven by cyclic shear, effectively replacing thermal fluctuations with plastic rearrangements. Using particles interacting via a smoothed square-shoulder potential, we demonstrate that cyclic shearing drives initially random configurations into ordered quasicrystalline states. The resulting non-equilibrium phase diagram qualitatively mirrors that of thermal equilibrium, exhibiting square, quasicrystalline, and hexagonal phases, as well as phase coexistence. Remarkably, the shear-stabilised quasicrystal appears even where the zero-temperature equilibrium ground state favours square-hexagonal coexistence, suggesting that mechanical driving can stabilise quasicrystalline order in a way analogous to entropic effects in thermal systems. The structural quality of the self-assembled state is maximised near the yielding transition, even though the dynamics are slowest there. Yet, the system still quickly forms monodomain quasicrystals without any complex annealing protocols, unlike at equilibrium, where thermal annealing would be required. Finite-size scaling analysis reveals that global orientational order decays slowly with system size, indicative of quasi-long-range order comparable to equilibrium hexatic phases. Overall, our results establish cyclic shear as an efficient pathway for the self-assembly of complex structures.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2026

Emergent hydrodynamics of chiral active fluids: vortices, bubbles and odd diffusion

Starting from a microscopic multiparticle Langevin equation, we systematically derive a hydrodynamic description in terms of density and momentum fields for chiral active particles interacting via standard repulsive and nonlocal odd forces. These odd interactions are reciprocal but non-conservative: they are non-potential forces, as they act perpendicular to the vector joining any pair of particles. As a result, the torques that two particles exert on one another are non-reciprocal. The ensuing macroscopic continuum description consists of a continuity equation for the density and a generalized compressible Navier-Stokes equation for the fluid velocity. The latter includes a chirality-induced torque density term and an odd viscosity contribution. Our theory predicts the emergence of odd diffusivity, edge currents, and an inhomogeneous phase - characterized by bubble-like structures - recently observed in simulations. Specifically, the theory exhibits a linear instability arising from the interplay between odd viscosity and torque density, and admits steady-state inhomogeneous solutions featuring bubbles and vortices, in agreement with numerical simulations. Our findings can be tested experimentally in systems of granular spinners or rotating microorganisms suspended in a fluid.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2025

Hyperuniformity and conservation laws in non-equilibrium systems

We demonstrate that hyperuniformity, the suppression of density fluctuations at large length scales, emerges generically from the interplay between conservation laws and non-equilibrium driving. The underlying mechanism for this emergence is analogous to self-organized criticality. Based on this understanding, we introduce four non-equilibrium models that consistently demonstrate hyperuniformity. Furthermore, we show that systems with an arbitrary number of conserved mass multipole moments exhibit an arbitrary strong tunable hyperuniform scaling, with the structure factor following $S(k) \sim k^m$, where $m$ is set by the number of conserved multipoles. Finally, we find that hyperuniformity arising from a combination of conserved noise and partially conserved average motion is not robust against non-linear perturbations. Notably, non-linear damping destroys hyperuniformity in hyperuniform fluids. These results highlight the central role of conservation laws in stabilizing hyperuniformity and reveal a unifying mechanism for its emergence in non-equilibrium systems.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2025

Hyperuniform interfaces in non-equilibrium phase coexistence

We show that long-wavelength interfacial fluctuations are strongly suppressed in non-equilibrium phase coexistence between bulk hyperuniform systems. Using simulations of three distinct microscopic models, we demonstrate that hyperuniform interfaces are much smoother than equilibrium ones, with a universal reduction of height fluctuations at large scale. We derive a non-equilibrium interface equation from the field theory of the bulk order parameter, and predict a reduction in height fluctuations, $S_h(\boldsymbol k)\equiv \langle |h(\boldsymbol k)|^2\rangle\sim |\boldsymbol k|^{-1}$, in stark contrast to equilibrium capillary wave theory where $S_h(\boldsymbol k)\sim |\boldsymbol k|^{-2}$. Our results establish a new universality class for non-equilibrium interfaces, highlighting the fundamental role of suppressed bulk fluctuations in shaping interfacial dynamics far from equilibrium.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗