Field Theories of Active Matter
We propose and analyse minimal models that capture the essential features of complex systems operating out of equilibrium. Currently we are focussed on systems where microscopic interactions are non-reciprocal, that is, they break the action-reaction symmetry.
Interactions between Janus colloids are explicitly non-reciprocal. Their response to chemical fields is determined by their surface chemistry; the strength and spatial isotropy of the chemical field they produce is determined by coating of catalysts. These attributes can be altered independently and thus two (or more) colloids have effective designer interactions.