Driven Colloidal Mixtures and Colloidal Liquid Crystals

Colloids driven by an external field are ideal model systems for non‐equilibrium problems. In particular, a binary driven system driven by a constant external force exhibits a non‐equilibrium phase transition towards lane formation. In oppositely charged colloidal mixtures there are several intermediate states with lateral crystalline order. Driving tracer particles through quiescent liquid crystals generates rhythmic clustering at high drives. Driven binary mixtures of liquid crystals and spheres exhibit again lane formation of pure phases containing particles driven alike with a local biaxiality at the driven interface between pure spheres and pure rods. The results presented are based on Brownian dynamics computer simulation and theory.