Spatiotemporal control of 2D active nematics

In this work, we examine how spatiotemporal patterns of activity affect the dynamical organization of a model two-dimensional active nematic. We prepare two dimensional nematics composed of rodlike microtubules driven by light-sensitive kinesin motors. In this design, patterns of activity are prescribed through the projection of light onto the sample. We examine the response of the nematic defect density and the flow to spatially- and temporally-varying patterns of light. This data is used to develop data-driven models of the active nematic behavior. Further, we apply spatiotemporal patterns of light to shape the material flow and structure into desired configurations. We examine the success of various strategies of control to impose specific material configuations in a material whose dynamics are instrinsically chaotic.