Physical Chemistry Seminar: Nonreciprocal phases of matter

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Abstract:

Nonreciprocal interactions in which the influence of A on B differs from that of B on A are abundant in chemical, biological, and ecological systems, and are known to give rise to oscillatory states. Yet, it remains unclear whether these states represent true phases of matter: Can they maintain long-range order in spatially extended, noisy environments in the thermodynamic limit? And what kinds of phase transitions do they exhibit? To address these questions, we introduce a minimal generalization of the Ising model with two species having opposing goals. We demonstrate that oscillatory phases are stable in three dimensions but not in two, and that nonreciprocity fundamentally alters the universality class of the phase transition. We further show that nonreciprocity gives rise to rich dynamical patterns, including spirals, scroll waves, and growing droplets. Finally, we apply these insights to a recent model of biomolecular condensates, predicting exotic dynamical phases and suggesting experimental tests.

Seminar Organizer: Prof. Ilia Kaminker