Training Adaptable Disordered Materials

Disordered materials exist in a complex energy landscape. Applying perturbations to such materials can push them into new low-energy states, and by directing those perturbations it is possible to access states that exhibit novel elastic properties. It was previously shown that by submitting a quasi two dimensional disordered foam network to uniform compression of varied magnitudes and durations, that the Poisson's ratio of the material could be tuned from positive to negative values while at the same time storing a memory of the compressive training. While this method of directed aging works consistently in foam materials, we now wish to examine its efficacy in modifying the elastic properties of disordered networks built from other classes of polymer materials such as liquid-crystal elastomers. We will also explore methods for developing three-dimensional materials with adaptable elastic moduli. These studies probe the potential expansion of material training to new classes of disordered materials.