Nucleation of transition waves via collisions of elastic vector solitons

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that collisions of elastic vector solitons in a multistable mechanical system can generate transition waves, revealing new nonlinear wave interactions with potential applications in reconfigurable structures.

Contribution

It introduces the novel phenomenon of transition wave nucleation via vector soliton collisions in a multistable mechanical system, supported by experimental and numerical evidence.

Findings

Collision of vector solitons can nucleate phase transitions.

Nucleation depends on energy and rotational directions of solitons.

This reveals new nonlinear wave interaction mechanisms.

Abstract

In this work, we show that collisions of one type of nonlinear wave can lead to generation of a different kind of nonlinear wave. Specifically, we demonstrate the formation of topological solitons (or transition waves) via collisions of elastic vector solitons, another type of nonlinear wave, in a multi-stable mechanical system with coupling between translational and rotational degrees of freedom. We experimentally observe the nucleation of a phase transformation arising from colliding waves, and we numerically investigate head-on and overtaking collisions of solitary waves with vectorial properties (i.e., elastic vector solitons). Unlike KdV-type solitons, which maintain their shape despite collisions, our system shows that collisions of two vector solitons can cause nucleation of a new phase via annihilation of the vector soltions, triggering the propagation of transition waves. The propagation of these depends both on the amount of energy carried by the vector solitons and on their respective rotational directions. The observation of the initiation of transition waves with collisions of vector solitons in multistable mechanical systems serves as an example of new fundamental nonlinear wave interactions, and could also prove useful in applications involving reconfigurable structures.