Recovering long-range cumulative response to geometric frustration in quasi-1d systems, mediated by constitutive softness

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates how tuning the ratio of moduli in quasi-1D systems can recover long-range cumulative responses caused by geometric frustration, enabling controlled self-assembly.

Contribution

It introduces a method to restore long-range frustration effects in quasi-1D systems by leveraging a soft response mode through modulus tuning.

Findings

Long-range cumulative responses can be recovered in quasi-1D systems.

Tuning the ratio of longitudinal to transverse moduli enables frustration recovery.

Different mechanisms of frustration can be mitigated by a soft response mode.

Abstract

Cumulative geometric frustration can drive self-limited assembly and morphology selection through size-dependent energetic costs. However, the slenderness of quasi-one-dimensional systems generally suppresses the formation of long-range longitudinal gradients. We show that the suppression of longitudinal gradients can be overcome by tuning the ratio between the longitudinal and transverse (shear) moduli. We demonstrate the recovery of cumulative frustration across distinct quasi-one-dimensional systems, each frustrated through a different mechanism, by the introduction of a soft response mode.