Dynamical heterogeneities in an attraction driven colloidal glass

TL;DR

This study investigates how dynamical heterogeneities evolve in attractive colloidal glasses, revealing that deeper quenches lead to more homogeneous dynamics, contrasting with behaviors near vitrification.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the evolution of dynamical heterogeneities in attractive colloidal glasses as a function of waiting time and attraction strength.

Findings

Strong dynamical heterogeneities near vitrification

Surface particles exhibit increased mobility at short waiting times

Deeper quenches result in more homogeneous dynamics

Abstract

The dynamical heterogeneities (DH) in non-ergodic states of an attractive colloidal glass are studied, as a function of the waiting time. Whereas the fluid states close to vitrify showed strong DH, the distribution of squared displacements of the glassy states studied here only present a tail of particles with increased mobility for the lower attraction strength at short waiting times. These particles are in the surface of the percolating cluster that comprises all of the particles, reminiscent of the fastest particles in the fluid. The quench deeper into the attractive glass is dynamically more homogeneous, in agreement with repulsive glasses (i.e. Lennard-Jones glass).