Yielding in Colloidal Systems Far-From-Equilibrium: From Gels to Active Matter

Explore the fascinating world of colloidal systems in this 38-minute lecture by Paddy Royall at the Erwin Schrödinger International Institute for Mathematics and Physics. Delve into two forms of yielding in far-from-equilibrium conditions: depletion gels and active colloids. Discover how colloidal gels age and become stronger, yet can catastrophically fail, and learn about the proposed microscopic mechanism behind this counterintuitive phenomenon. Examine the shear melting of active colloids under extreme confinement and compare it to passive colloids. Gain insights into the complex behaviors of these simple yet intriguing systems, which exhibit phenomena ranging from phase transitions to collective behaviors reminiscent of biological systems. Understand the importance of colloidal systems in bridging the gap between physics and biology in non-equilibrium processes.