Recovering long-range cumulative response to geometric frustration in quasi-one-dimensional systems, mediated by constitutive softness
Phys. Rev. Materials 10, 105602 – Published 15 October, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/7w7g-bxb2
Abstract
Cumulative geometric frustration can drive self-limited assembly and morphology selection through size-dependent energetic costs. However, the slenderness of quasi-one-dimensional systems generally suppresses the formation of long-range longitudinal gradients. We show that the suppression of longitudinal gradients can be overcome by tuning the ratio between the longitudinal and transverse (shear) moduli. We demonstrate the recovery of cumulative frustration across distinct quasi-one-dimensional systems, each frustrated through a different mechanism, by the introduction of a soft response mode. The resulting saturation length scale is universal and is dictated by the local constitutive information of the system.
