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Arrested Coarsening in Active Colloidal Suspensions Driven by Nonreciprocal Electrohydrodynamic Interactions

Shoma Hara1, Masazumi Okada1, Keisuke Kittaka1, Sho Tanami1, Yuichi Iwasaki1, Hiroaki Ishikawa1, Kiwamu Yoshii1, and Yutaka Sumino1,2,3,*

  • 1Department of Applied Physics, Tokyo University of Science, 6-3-1 Nijuku, Katsushika, Tokyo, 125-8585, Japan
  • 2Water Frontier Research Center and Division of Colloid Interface, Research Institute for Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science, 6-3-1 Nijuku, Katsushika, Tokyo, 125-8585, Japan
  • 3Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XH, United Kingdom

  • *Contact author: ysumino@rs.tus.ac.jp
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Phys. Rev. Lett. 137, 068302 – Published 6 August, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/96ky-d1p9

Abstract

Nonreciprocal interactions have recently attracted growing interest in nonequilibrium physics. In particular, breaking action-reaction symmetry has been proposed as a mechanism for collective motion, yet controlled experimental realizations remain scarce. Here, we show that bidisperse colloidal suspensions driven by AC electric fields exhibit persistent active clusters sustained by nonreciprocal electrohydrodynamic interactions. Size-asymmetric particle pairs spontaneously self-propel due to imbalanced electrohydrodynamic attraction, producing clusters that continuously fragment and reorganize rather than coarsening into static aggregates as in monodisperse systems. Agent-based simulations reproduce the observed dynamics and identify nonreciprocal pair propulsion as the minimal ingredient for the persistent cluster dynamics. These results demonstrate that action-reaction symmetry breaking in electrohydrodynamic interactions can arrest coarsening and sustain dynamically reconfigurable collective states in dense colloidal suspensions.

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Phys. Rev. Lett. 137, 068302– Published 6 August, 2026
  • Received 26 September 2025
  • Accepted 12 June 2026
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