Macroscopic yielding in jammed solids is accompanied by a non-equilibrium first-order transition in particle trajectories

Takeshi Kawasaki (1) , Ludovic Berthier (1)

1 L2C - Laboratoire Charles Coulomb

We use computer simulations to analyse the yielding transition during large-amplitude oscillatory shear of a simple model for soft jammed solids. Simultaneous analysis of global mechanical response and particle-scale motion demonstrates that macroscopic yielding, revealed by a smooth crossover in mechanical properties, is accompanied by a sudden change in the particle dynamics, which evolves from non-diffusive motion to irreversible diffusion as the amplitude of the shear is increased. We provide numerical evidence that this sharp change corresponds to a non-equilibrium first-order dynamic phase transition, thus establishing the existence of a well-defined microscopic dynamic signature of the yielding transition in amorphous materials in oscillatory shear.

Domaines: Matière Molle [cond-mat.soft]

Takeshi Kawasaki, Ludovic Berthier. Macroscopic yielding in jammed solids is accompanied by a non-equilibrium first-order transition in particle trajectories. Physical Review E : Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics, 2016, 94, pp.022615. ⟨10.1103/PhysRevE.94.022615⟩. ⟨hal-01367384⟩