arXiv subjects

Shankar Ghosh

Publications and source records attributed to Shankar Ghosh.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Multi-particle gates on driven one-dimensional paths: probing deep traps

We study single-file transport of driven overdamped colloidal particles on a periodic path with deep potential wells. In the small trap limit (i.e., trap size smaller than particle size), the particle current transitions from zero to finite as the number of particles on the path exceeds a critical number $n_c$. Beyond this threshold, $n_c$ particles cluster behind the trap, demonstrating collective correlated motion. The remaining `extra' particles circulate, giving a finite current. We study this phenomenon numerically using overdamped Brownian dynamics simulations, and present an experimental realization of this behaviour for micron-scale colloidal particles driven in an optical vortex. Using our experimental observations, we present results characterizing potential wells as deep as several hundred $k_BT$.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2025

Optimal navigation in a noisy environment

Navigating toward a known target in a noisy environment is a fundamental problem shared across biological, physical, and engineered systems. Although optimal strategies are often framed in terms of continuous, fine-grained feedback, we show that efficient navigation emerges from a far simpler principle: natural wandering punctuated by intermittent course corrections. Using a controlled robotic platform, active Brownian particle simulations, and scaling theory, we identify a universal trade-off between noise-induced deviation and the finite cost of reorientation, yielding an optimal course correction frequency governed by only a few system parameters. Despite their differing levels of complexity, our experiment and theory collapse onto common quantitative signatures, including first-passage time distribution and non-Gaussian angular dispersion. Our results establish intermittent course-correction as a minimal and robust alternative to continuous feedback, offering a unifying guiding principle for point-to-point navigation in complex environments.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2025

Unusual magnetic order, field induced melting and role of spin-lattice coupling in 2D Van der Waals materials: a case study of CrSiTe3

Two-dimensional (2D) Van der Waals compounds exhibit interesting electronic and magnetic properties due to complex intra-layer and inter-layer interactions, which are of immense importance in realizing exotic physics as well as advanced technology. Various experimental and theoretical studies led to significantly different ground state properties often contrasting each other. Here, we studied a novel 2D material, CrSiTe3 employing magnetic, specific heat and Raman measurements. Experimental results reveal evidence of incipient antiferromagnetism below 1 kOe concomitant to ferromagnetic order at 33 K. Antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic interactions coexists at low field in the temperature regime, 15 - 33 K. Low field data reveal an additional magnetic order below 15 K, which melts on application of external magnetic field and remain dark in the heat capacity data. Raman spectra exhibit anomalies at the magnetic transitions; an evidence of strong spin-lattice coupling. Below 15 K, Eg modes exhibit hardening while Ag modes become significantly softer suggesting weakening of the inter-layer coupling at low temperatures which might be a reason for the unusual magnetic ground state and field induced melting of the magnetic order. These results reveal evidence of exceptional ground state properties linked to spin-lattice coupling and also suggest a pathway to study complex magnetism in such technologically important materials.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2024

Facilitating a 3D granular flow with an obstruction

Ensuring a smooth rate of efflux of particles from an outlet without unpredictable clogging events is crucial in processing powders and grains. We show by experiments and simulations that an obstacle placed near the outlet can greatly suppress clog formation in a 3-dimensional granular flow; this counterintuitive phenomenon had previously been demonstrated in 2-dimensional systems. Remarkably, clog suppression is very effective even when the obstacle cross-section is comparable to that of a single grain, and is only a small fraction of the outlet area. Data from two dissimilar obstacle shapes indicate that the underlying mechanism for clog suppression is geometric: while the magnitude of the effect can be affected by dynamical factors, the optimal location of the obstacle is determined entirely by a simple geometric rule. An optimally-placed obstacle arranges for the most-probable clogging arch to be at a perilous and unstable spot, where the local flow geometry is at a point of expansion and a slight perturbation leaves the arch without downstream support. This geometric principle does not rely on previously conjectured dynamical mechanisms and admits generalization to other agent-based and particulate systems.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2024

Lever rule violation and pressure imbalance in a driven granular system

We study a monolayer of metal balls under periodic chiral driving in the horizontal plane. Energy dissipation occurs in this system via (i) inelastic collisions and (ii) frictional interaction with the substrate. We show that below a density-dependent critical drive, the system phase separates into a fluid phase coexisting with a solid phase. Unlike ordinary coexistence, however, the system does not obey the lever rule, as the fluid-phase density depends on the overall particle density. Additionally, the pressure is discontinuous across the fluid-solid interface, accompanied by a chiral edge current at the interface.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2024

Role of kinematic constraints in the time reversal symmetry breaking of a model active matter

Active-matter systems are inherently out-of-equilibrium and perform mechanical work by utilizing their internal energy sources. Breakdown of time-reversal symmetry (BTRS) is a hallmark of such dissipative non-equilibrium dynamics. We introduce a robust, experimentally accessible, noninvasive, quantitative measure of BTRS in terms of the Kullback-Leibler divergence in collision events, demonstrated in our novel artificial active matter, comprised of battery-powered spherical rolling robots whose energetics in different modes of motion can be measured with high precision. Our dimensionless measure characterizes how dissipation and internal energetics are influenced by kinematic constraints from interactions with the environment. We propose this measure of BTRS as an empirical estimate of the distance from equilibrium. An energetic insight into this departure of active matter from equilibrium comes from our demonstration of a non-trivial fluctuation symmetry, which reveals a potentially universal thermodynamic characteristic of active energetics. As a many-body consequence of BTRS in our experimental active system, we demonstrate the emergence of activity-induced herding, which has no equilibrium analogue.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2024

Cracking of submerged beds

We investigate the phenomena of crater formation and gas release caused by projectile impact on underwater beds, which occurs in many natural, geophysical, and industrial applications. The bed in our experiment is constructed of hydrophobic particles, which trap a substantial amount of air in its pores. In contrast to dry beds, the air-water interface in a submerged bed generates a granular skin that provides rigidity to the medium by producing skin over the bulk. The projectile's energy is used to reorganise the grains, which causes the skin to crack, allowing the trapped air to escape. The morphology of the craters as a function of impact energy in submerged beds exhibits different scaling laws than what is known for dry beds. This phenomenon is attributed to the contact line motion on the hydrophobic fractal-like surface of submerged grains. The volume of the gas released is a function of multiple factors, chiefly the velocity of the projectile, depth of the bed and depth of the water column.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2023

Emergent reprogrammable mechanical memory in soft rods network via friction tuning

We present emergent mechanical memory storage behavior in soft cellular materials. The cellular materials are a network of soft hyperelastic rods which store shape changes, specifically local indentation. This happens under an applied global compressive strain on the material. The material transits under strain from an elastic state (capable of `forgetting' any applied indentation after un-indentation) to plastic state (indefinitely storing the shape change due to indentation). The memory can be erased via removal of applied global strains and is therefore re-programmable. We characterise this behaviour experimentally and present a simple model that makes use of friction for understanding this behavior.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2022

Squigglebot: a battery powered spherical rolling robot as a model active matter system to measure its energetics

Active matter systems use their internal or ambient source of energy and dissipate them at the scale of individual constituent particles to generate motion. Direct measurement of the energy influx for individual particles has not been achieved in the experiments. Here we present "Squigglebot" - a battery powered spherical rolling robot based on open source hardware as an artificial active matter system whose energy consumption as well as the energy dissipation into different modes of motion both can be measured experimentally. This can serve as a prototype system to study a number of interesting problems in non-equilibrium statistical physics, where details of the energetics are required.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2022

Self-similar inhomogeneous stationary states under constrained dynamics

The dynamics of $n$ rigid objects, each having $d$ degrees of freedom, is played out in the configuration space of dimension $nd$. Being rigid, there are additional constraints at work that render a portion of the configuration space inaccessible. In this paper, we make the assertion that treating the overall dynamics as a Markov process whose states are defined by the number of contacts made between the rigid objects provides an effective coarse grained characterization of the otherwise complex phenomenon. This coarse graining reduces the dimensionality of the space from $nd$ to one. We test this assertion for a one dimensional array of curved squares each of which is undergoing a biased diffusion in its angular orientation.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2022

Coupled dynamical phase transitions in driven disk packings

Under the influence of oscillatory shear, a mono-layer of frictional granular disks exhibits two dynamical phase transitions: a transition from an initially disordered state to an ordered crystalline state, and a dynamic active-absorbing phase transition. Although there is no reason, {\it a-priori}, for these to be at the same critical point, they are. The transitions may also be characterized by the disk trajectories, which are non-trivial loops breaking time-reversal invariance.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2021

Emergent Chirality and Current Generation

We investigate the phenomenon of producing vibration-induced rotational motion in a cylinder filled with achiral rods and being vibrated by an external drive. The arrangement of the rods develops chirality as a result of the interaction of gravity and steric hindrance, which is responsible for the induced motion. A two-rod arrangement is sufficient to generate a persistent motion. The average angular velocity $\langle \omega \rangle$ of the rods at long times varies non-monotonically with the packing fraction $\phi$ for a given drive strength $\Gamma$. Though the precise nature of the variation of $\langle \omega \rangle$ with $\phi$ depends on the details of the interaction between individual rods, its general characteristics hold true for rods of various materials and geometries. A stochastic model based on the asymmetric simple exclusion process helps in understanding the key features of our experiments.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2021

Collision-induced coherent dynamics

In this paper we demonstrate a route to develop coherence in a system of non-driven oscillators. Here, the coherence is brought about via physical collisions through which the oscillators exchange energy. While coherence in the classical situations occurs due to sustained coupling terms in the dynamical equations, collision-induced coherence is enabled solely through strong interactions that are of intermittent nature! We demonstrate this in a Newton's cradle arrangement of oscillators by electrical and optical studies under ambient and vacuum conditions.

nlin.CD↗

arXiv2021

State-dependent driving: A route to non-equilibrium stationary states

We study three different experiments that involve dry friction and periodic driving, and which employ both single and many-particle systems. These experimental set-ups, besides providing a playground for investigation of frictional effects, are relevant in broad areas of science and engineering. Across all these experiments, we monitor the dynamics of objects placed on a substrate that is being moved in a horizontal manner. The driving couples to the degrees of freedom of the substrate, and this coupling in turn influences the motion of the objects. Our experimental findings suggest emergence of stationary-states with non-trivial features. We invoke a minimalistic phenomenological model to explain our experimental findings. Within our model, we treat the injection of energy into the system to be dependent on its dynamical state, whereby energy injection is allowed only when the system is in its suitable-friction state. Our phenomenological model is built on the fact that such a state-dependent driving results in a force that repeatedly toggles the frictional states in time, and serves to explain our experimental findings.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2020

Recharging and rejuvenation of decontaminated N95 masks

N95 respirators comprise a critical part of the personal protective equipment used by frontline health-care workers, and are typically meant for one-time usage. However, the recent COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a serious shortage of these masks leading to a worldwide effort to develop decontamination and re-use procedures. A major factor contributing to the filtration efficiency of N95 masks is the presence of an intermediate layer of charged polypropylene electret fibers that trap particles through electrostatic or electrophoretic effects. This charge can degrade when the mask is used. Moreover, simple decontamination procedures (e.g. use of alcohol) can degrade any remaining charge from the polypropylene, thus severely impacting the filtration efficiency post decontamination. In this report, we summarize our results on the development of a simple laboratory setup allowing measurement of charge and filtration efficiency in N95 masks. In particular, we propose and show that it is possible to recharge the masks post-decontamination and recover filtration efficiency.

physics.med-ph↗

arXiv2020

Vibrational Effects on the Coefficient of Restitution

A ball dropped from a given height onto a surface, will bounce repeatedly before coming to rest. A ball bouncing on a thick plate will behave very differently than a ball bouncing off the thin lid of a container. For a plate with a fixed thickness, a ball bouncing at the edge of a plate will be very different from the ball bouncing off the middle of the plate. We study the coefficient of restitution $ε$ for a steel ball bouncing steel plates of various thicknesses. We observe how $ε$ changes as the ball repeated bounces and finally comes to rest. Generally, $ε< 1$ due to the dissipation of kinetic energy of the ball into the plate. However this dissipated energy can come back into ball in its later bounces. We see the emergence of super-elastic collisions ($ε> 1$), implying that the ball gained Kinetic Energy due to the collision with the plate. We can increase the probability of such super-elastic collisions (P$_{SE}$) by adding a spring to the ball. We construct a simple theoretical model where the energy lost from previous collisions are transferred back into later ones. This model is able to simulate the occurrence of such super-elastic collisions.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2020

Tuning of friction noise by accessing the rolling-sliding option

Variable power transmission in mechanical systems is often achieved by devices, e.g., clutches and brakes, that use dry friction. In these systems, the variability in power transmission is brought about by engaging and disengaging the friction plates. Though commonly used, this method of making the coupling noisy is not as versatile as their electrical analog. An alternative method would be to intermittently vary the frictional force. In this paper, we demonstrate a self-organized way to tune the noise in the frictional coupling between two surfaces which are in relative motion with each other. This is achieved by exploiting the complexity that arises from the frictional interaction of the balls which are placed in a circular groove between the surfaces. The extent of floppiness in the coupling is related to the rate at which the balls make transitions between their rolling and sliding states. If the moving surface is soft and the static surface is hard we show that with increasing filling fraction of the balls the transitions between rolling and sliding against the static surface give way to the transitions between rolling and sliding against the moving surface. As a consequence, the noise in the coupling is large for both small and large filling fraction with a dip in the middle. In contrast, the sliding with the static surface is suppressed if the moving pate is hard and the noise in the coupling decreases monotonically with the filling fraction of the balls.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2019

Molding 3D curved structures by selective heating

It is of interest to fabricate curved surfaces in three dimensions from easily available homogeneous material in the form of flat sheets. The aim is not just to obtain a surface $M$ in $\mathbb{R}^3$ which has a desired intrinsic Riemannian metric, but to get the desired embedding $M \subset \mathbb{R}^3$ up to translations and rotations (the Riemannian metric alone need not uniquely determine this). In this paper, we demonstrate three generic methods of molding a flat sheet of thermo-responsive plastic by selective contraction induced by targeted heating. These methods do not involve any cutting and gluing, which is a property they share with origami. The first method is inspired by tailoring, which is the usual method for making garments out of plain pieces of cloth. Unlike usual tailoring, this method produces the desired embedding in $\mathbb{R}^3$, and in particular, we get the desired intrinsic Riemannian metric. The second method just aims to bring about the desired new Riemannian metric via an appropriate pattern of local contractions, without directly controlling the embedding. The third method is based on triangulation, and seeks to induce the desired local distances. This results in getting the desired embedding in $\mathbb{R}^3$, in particular, it also gives us the target Riemannian metric. The second and the third methods, and also the first method for the special case of surfaces of revolution, are algorithmic in nature. We give a theoretical account of these methods, followed by illustrated examples of different shapes that were physically molded by these methods.

cond-mat.soft↗