Pinning and Dynamics of Colloids on One Dimensional Periodic Potentials

TL;DR

This study uses numerical simulations to explore how colloids interact with one-dimensional periodic potentials, revealing various pinned and dynamic states influenced by density, temperature, and substrate strength.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed analysis of colloid behavior on 1D substrates, highlighting transitions and scaling laws not previously characterized.

Findings

Multiple pinned and dynamic states identified, including smectic and buckled phases.

Depinning thresholds peak at commensurate densities.

Pinning threshold scaling changes with colloid configuration transition.

Abstract

Using numerical simulations we study the pinning and dynamics of interacting colloids on periodic one-dimensional substrates. As a function of colloid density, temperature, and substrate strength, we find a variety of pinned and dynamic states including pinned smectic, pinned buckled, two-phase flow, and moving partially ordered structures. We show that for increasing colloid density, peaks in the depinning threshold occur at commensurate states. The scaling of the pinning threshold versus substrate strength changes when the colloids undergo a transition from one-dimensional chains to a buckled configuration.