Feedback-controlled transport in an interacting colloidal system

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that feedback control can reverse particle current in an interacting colloidal system driven through a periodic potential, using dynamical density functional theory to implement time-delayed control protocols.

Contribution

It introduces a DDFT-based framework for applying time-delayed feedback control to colloidal transport, showing control effectiveness despite strong correlations.

Findings

Particle current can be reversed via feedback control.

Two control protocols with time delay are effective.

DDFT is suitable for implementing feedback strategies.

Abstract

Based on dynamical density functional theory (DDFT) we consider a non-equilibrium system of interacting colloidal particles driven by a constant tilting force through a periodic, symmetric "washboard" potential. We demonstrate that, despite of pronounced spatio-temporal correlations, the particle current can be reversed by adding suitable feedback control terms to the DDFT equation of motion. We explore two distinct control protocols with time delay, focussing on either the particle positions or the density profile. Our study shows that the DDFT is an appropriate framework to implement time-delayed feedback control strategies widely used in other fields of nonlinear physics