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Nonreciprocal Interactions between Condensates in Chemically Active Mixtures

Jacopo Romano1,2, Martin Kjøllesdal Johnsrud1, Benoît Mahault1, and Ramin Golestanian1,3

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Phys. Rev. Lett. 136, 198301 – Published 15 May, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/mrpd-rgnx

Abstract

We study the behavior of catalytically active droplets in multicomponent conserved mixtures affected by noise. Working in the thin interface limit, we analytically determine the state diagram of the system, characterized by multiple dynamical regimes, and verify our findings using numerical simulations. In particular, we show the emergence of a nonreciprocal, chemically mediated interaction between the droplets, which leads to the formation of (meta)stable clusters of droplets of different species. We find that the clusters can display self-propulsion in a large part of the parameter space, including regions where the nonreciprocal interactions between the droplets are purely attractive. This surprising feature arises from the nonlocal nature of the chemical interactions, and points to locality violations as a general mechanism for energy dissipation and emergence of out-of-equilibrium steady states in active matter.

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Phys. Rev. Lett. 136, 198301– Published 15 May, 2026
  • Received 30 November 2025
  • Revised 6 March 2026
  • Accepted 16 April 2026
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