Pinned-to-sliding transition and structural crossovers for helically confined charges

Abstract

We explore the non-equilibrium dissipative dynamics of a system of identical charged particles trapped on a closed helix. The particles are subject to an external force accelerating them along the underlying structure. The effective interactions between the charges induce a coupling of the center-of-mass to the relative motion which in turn gives rise to a pinned-to-sliding transition with increasing magnitude of the external force. In the sliding regime we observe an Ohmic behaviour signified by a constant mobility. Within the same regime a structural transition of the helical particle chain takes place with increasing the helix radius leading to a global change of the crystalline arrangement. The resulting crystal is characterized by the existence of multiple defects whose number increases with the helix radius.

15 pages, 12 figures