Emergent self-organization in active materials

Abstract

Biological systems exhibit large-scale self-organized dynamics and structures which enable organisms to perform the functions of life. The field of active matter strives to develop and understand microscopically driven nonequilibrium materials, with emergent properties comparable to those of living systems. This review will describe two recently developed classes of active matter systems, in which simple building blocks-self-propelled colloidal particles or extensile rod-like particles-self-organize to form macroscopic structures with features not possible in equilibrium systems. We summarize the recent experimental and theoretical progress on each of these systems, and we present simple descriptions of the physics underlying their emergent behaviors.