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We present a molecular simulation method to simultaneously find multiple transition pathways, and their associated free-energy profiles. The scheme extends path-metadynamics (PMD) [Phys. Rev. Lett. 109, 020601 (2012)] with multiple paths…
Coupling between flows and material properties imbues rheological matter with its wide-ranging applicability, hence the excitement for harnessing the rheology of active fluids for which internal structure and continuous energy injection…
The tenfold classification provides a powerful framework for organizing topological phases of matter based on symmetry and spatial dimension. However, it does not offer a systematic method for transitioning between classes or engineering…
We propose a general multiscale approach for the mechanical behavior of three-dimensional networks of macromolecules undergoing strain-induced unfolding. Starting from a (statistically based) energetic analysis of the macromolecule…
Biomolecular motor proteins that generate forces by consuming chemical energy obtained from ATP hydrolysis are pivotal for organizing broad cytoskeletal structures in living cells. The control of such cytoskeletal structures benefits…
Many critical biological processes, like wound healing, require confluent cell monolayers/bulk tissues to transition from a jammed solid-like to a fluid-like state. Although numerical studies anticipate changes in the cell shape alone can…
Our current understanding of neuroplasticity paints a picture of a complex interconnected system of dependent processes which shape cortical structure so as to produce an efficient information processing system. Indeed, the cooperation of…
Functionally Graded Materials (FGMs) made of soft constituents have emerged as promising material-structure systems in potential applications across many engineering disciplines, such as soft robots, actuators, energy harvesting, and tissue…
The dynamics of a self-propelled particle are typically hard-wired by its microscopic construction, limiting the range of behaviors accessible without redesigning the particle itself. Here we show that intramolecular nonreciprocity provides…
The morphing of 3D structures is suitable for i) future tunable material design for customizing material properties and ii) advanced manufacturing tools for fabricating 3D structures on a 2D plane. However, there is no inverse design method…
Most approaches for designing self-assembled materials focus on the thermodynamic stability of a target structure or crystal polymorph. Yet in practice, the outcome of a self-assembly process is often controlled by kinetic pathways. Here we…
Origami metamaterial design enables drastic qualitative changes in the response properties of a thin sheet via the addition of a repeating pattern of folds based around a rigid folding motion. Known also as a mechanism, this folding motion…
Controlling laser-induced pattern formation remains a long-standing challenge. A key advance was recognising the pivotal role of intrinsic feedback mechanisms in self-organisation, which enabled self-similar patterns with long-range order…
Unlike conventional mechanisms, compliant mechanisms produce the desired deformations by exploiting elastic strain and do not need, therefore, moving parts. The number of degrees of freedom of a conventional mechanism, also called mobility,…
Strongly interacting electrons in layered materials give rise to a plethora of emergent phenomena, such as unconventional superconductivity. heavy fermions, and spin textures with non-trivial topology. Similar effects can also be observed…
We describe some of the important physical characteristics of the `pathways', i.e. dynamical processes, by which molecular, nanoscale and micron-scale self-assembly occurs. We highlight the fact that there exist features of self-assembly…
The structural complexity of metamaterials is limitless, although in practice, most designs comprise periodic architectures which lead to materials with spatially homogeneous features. More advanced tasks, arising in e.g. soft robotics,…
In simulations, particles are traditionally treated as rigid platforms with variable sizes, shapes and interaction parameters. While this representation is applicable for rigid core platforms, particles consisting of soft platforms (e.g.…
Micropatterning techniques have become an important tool for the study of cell behavior in controlled microenvironments. As a consequence, several approaches for the creation of micropatterns have been developed in recent years. However,…
Mechanical metamaterials utilize intricate architectural designs to achieve advanced properties beyond those of their bulk counterparts. Existing metamaterial designs often rely on design inspirations and extensive experimental and…