Achieving asymmetry and trapping in diffusion with spatiotemporal metamaterials.

ABSTRACT: The process of diffusion is central to the ever increasing entropic state of the universe and is fundamental in many branches of science and engineering. Although non-reciprocal metamaterials are well developed for wave systems, the studies of diffusive metamaterials have been limited by their characteristic spatial inversion symmetry and time inversion antisymmetry. Here, we achieve large spatial asymmetric diffusion characteristics inside a metamaterial whose material parameters are space- and time-modulated. Inside such a spatiotemporal metamaterial, diffusion occurs as if the material had an intrinsic flow velocity, whose direction is dictated by the relative phase between the modulations of the conductivity and capacity. This creates dramatic out-of-equilibrium concentrations and depl

SUBMITTER: Camacho M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7381636 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature