IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v16y2025i1d10.1038_s41467-025-61616-1.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Symmetry breaking-induced N-body electrodynamic forces in optical matter systems

Author

Listed:
  • John Parker

    (The University of Chicago
    The University of Chicago)

  • Spoorthi Nagasamudram

    (The University of Chicago
    The University of Chicago)

  • Curtis Peterson

    (The University of Chicago
    The University of Chicago)

  • Yanzeng Li

    (The University of Chicago
    Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology)

  • Sina Soleimanikahnoj

    (The University of Chicago)

  • Stuart A. Rice

    (The University of Chicago
    The University of Chicago)

  • Norbert F. Scherer

    (The University of Chicago
    The University of Chicago)

Abstract

Breaking symmetry can give rise to non-reciprocal forces–unequal and opposite forces–typically observed in active matter systems involving asymmetric 2-body interactions. So far, there are few examples of N-body non-reciprocal forces induced by symmetry breaking. Here we show, through experiment, numerical simulation, and theoretical analysis, that N-body non-reciprocal forces emerge in optical matter systems comprised of three or more electrodynamically interacting (nano)particles when spatial symmetries are broken. The requisite symmetry breaking is realized in experiment by trapping Ag nanoparticles in a curved geometry using an optical ring trap. The ordered ring of nanoparticles is observed to rotate collectively in a direction governed by the handedness of the trapping beam’s circular polarization. This force, distinct from spin-to-orbit angular momentum conversion, depends strongly on particle number and inter-particle separations. These N-body non-reciprocal interactions induced by symmetry breaking are general and should arise in other “coherently illuminated” active matter systems.

Suggested Citation

  • John Parker & Spoorthi Nagasamudram & Curtis Peterson & Yanzeng Li & Sina Soleimanikahnoj & Stuart A. Rice & Norbert F. Scherer, 2025. "Symmetry breaking-induced N-body electrodynamic forces in optical matter systems," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-10, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-61616-1
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-61616-1
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-61616-1
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-025-61616-1?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Martin Brandenbourger & Xander Locsin & Edan Lerner & Corentin Coulais, 2019. "Non-reciprocal robotic metamaterials," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 10(1), pages 1-8, December.
    2. Debarghya Banerjee & Anton Souslov & Alexander G. Abanov & Vincenzo Vitelli, 2017. "Odd viscosity in chiral active fluids," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 8(1), pages 1-12, December.
    3. Sathyanarayana Paladugu & Agnese Callegari & Yazgan Tuna & Lukas Barth & Siegfried Dietrich & Andrea Gambassi & Giovanni Volpe, 2016. "Nonadditivity of critical Casimir forces," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 7(1), pages 1-8, September.
    4. Zijie Yan & Stephen K. Gray & Norbert F. Scherer, 2014. "Potential energy surfaces and reaction pathways for light-mediated self-organization of metal nanoparticle clusters," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 5(1), pages 1-7, September.
    5. Michel Fruchart & Ryo Hanai & Peter B. Littlewood & Vincenzo Vitelli, 2021. "Non-reciprocal phase transitions," Nature, Nature, vol. 592(7854), pages 363-369, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Antoine Aubret & Quentin Martinet & Jeremie Palacci, 2021. "Metamachines of pluripotent colloids," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-9, December.
    2. Joel W. Newbolt & Nickolas Lewis & Mathilde Bleu & Jiajie Wu & Christiana Mavroyiakoumou & Sophie Ramananarivo & Leif Ristroph, 2024. "Flow interactions lead to self-organized flight formations disrupted by self-amplifying waves," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.
    3. Alvin Modin & Matan Yah Zion & Paul M. Chaikin, 2023. "Hydrodynamic spin-orbit coupling in asynchronous optically driven micro-rotors," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-9, December.
    4. David T. Limmer & Chloe Y. Gao & Anthony R. Poggioli, 2021. "A large deviation theory perspective on nanoscale transport phenomena," The European Physical Journal B: Condensed Matter and Complex Systems, Springer;EDP Sciences, vol. 94(7), pages 1-16, July.
    5. Etienne Jambon-Puillet & Andrea Testa & Charlotta Lorenz & Robert W. Style & Aleksander A. Rebane & Eric R. Dufresne, 2024. "Phase-separated droplets swim to their dissolution," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.
    6. Jyoti Prasad Banerjee & Rituparno Mandal & Deb Sankar Banerjee & Shashi Thutupalli & Madan Rao, 2022. "Unjamming and emergent nonreciprocity in active ploughing through a compressible viscoelastic fluid," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.
    7. Guy Amichay & Liang Li & Máté Nagy & Iain D. Couzin, 2024. "Revealing the mechanism and function underlying pairwise temporal coupling in collective motion," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.
    8. Seungjae Lee & Lennart J. Kuklinski & Marc Timme, 2025. "Extreme synchronization transitions," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-7, December.
    9. Martorell, Carles & Calvo, Rubén & Annibale, Alessia & Muñoz, Miguel A., 2024. "Dynamically selected steady states and criticality in non-reciprocal networks," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 182(C).
    10. Xiangzun Wang & Pin-Chuan Chen & Klaus Kroy & Viktor Holubec & Frank Cichos, 2023. "Spontaneous vortex formation by microswimmers with retarded attractions," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-9, December.
    11. Zhou, Yongjian & Zheng, Zhicheng & Wang, Tao & Peng, Xingguang, 2024. "Swarm dynamics of delayed self-propelled particles with non-reciprocal interactions," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 186(C).
    12. Alberto Dinelli & Jérémy O’Byrne & Agnese Curatolo & Yongfeng Zhao & Peter Sollich & Julien Tailleur, 2023. "Non-reciprocity across scales in active mixtures," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
    13. Reis, Eduardo V.M. & Savi, Marcelo A., 2022. "Spatiotemporal chaos in a conservative Duffing-type system," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 165(P1).
    14. Seidel, Thomas G. & Javaloyes, Julien & Gurevich, Svetlana V., 2025. "Coherent pulse interactions in mode-locked semiconductor lasers," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 195(C).
    15. Qinghao Mao & Brady Wu & Bryan VanSaders & Heinrich M. Jaeger, 2025. "Structural reconfiguration of interacting multi-particle systems through parametric pumping," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-9, December.
    16. Federico Roccati & Miguel Bello & Zongping Gong & Masahito Ueda & Francesco Ciccarello & Aurélia Chenu & Angelo Carollo, 2024. "Hermitian and non-Hermitian topology from photon-mediated interactions," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-10, December.
    17. Reis, Eduardo V.M. & Savi, Marcelo A., 2024. "Spatiotemporal nonlinear dynamics and chaos in a mechanical Duffing-type system," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 185(C).
    18. Yangrui Chen & Jie Zhang, 2024. "Anomalous flocking in nonpolar granular Brownian vibrators," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-7, December.
    19. C. J. O. Reichhardt & C. Reichhardt, 2022. "Dynamic phases and reentrant Hall effect for vortices and skyrmions on periodic pinning arrays," The European Physical Journal B: Condensed Matter and Complex Systems, Springer;EDP Sciences, vol. 95(8), pages 1-16, August.
    20. Wu, Zihua & Zhang, Yinxing & Bao, Han & Lan, Rushi & Hua, Zhongyun, 2024. "nD-CS: A circularly shifting chaotic map generation method," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 181(C).

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-61616-1. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.