Shear-driven dynamic clusters in a colloidal glass

ORAL

Abstract

We investigate the effect of shear applied to a colloidal glass on a microscopic level using a shear device that can be mounted on top of a confocal microscope. We find that the glass yields at a critical strain of about 10\%, independently of the shear rate. Surprisingly, the yielding is accompanied by an increase of cooperative particle movements and a formation of dynamic clusters which is in contrast to the normal glass transition where one typically finds heterogeneity increasing whilst moving towards the glass transition.

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Authors

  • Christoph Eisenmann

    DEAS, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA, DEAS, Harvard University

  • Chanjoong Kim

    DEAS, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA, DEAS, Harvard University, Division of Engineering and Applied Science. Harvard University

  • Johan Mattsson

    DEAS, Harvard University

  • David Weitz

    Division of Engineering and Applied Sciences and Department of Physics, Harvard University, DEAS, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA, Harvard University, DEAS, Harvard University, Division of Engineering and Applied Science, Harvard University, Cambridge MA 02138, USA, Division of Engineering and Applied Science. Harvard University, Applied Physics, Harvard University