Anisotropic diffusions in supercooled liquids
Phys. Rev. Materials 10, 015601 – Published 6 January, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/575j-1k34
Abstract
Using isoconfigurational ensemble simulations, we investigate the diffusion direction of individual particles in liquids in two dimensions. We find that the particle diffusion direction on the cage-jumping timescale is not random in the supercooled regime, and the diffusion anisotropy increases with decreasing temperature. Analyses of the simulations and colloidal experiments show that the diffusion anisotropy originates from the rise of the anisotropic local potential energy landscape. Particles prefer to move in directions with soft local stiffness during structural rearrangements. The structural evolution in supercooled liquids can thus be probabilistically predicted from the potential energy landscape that is determined by local structures.
