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Observation of structural universality in disordered systems using bulk diffusion measurement

Antonios Papaioannou, Dmitry S. Novikov, Els Fieremans, and Gregory S. Boutis
Phys. Rev. E 96, 061101(R) – Published 1 December 2017
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Abstract

We report on an experimental observation of classical diffusion distinguishing between structural universality classes of disordered systems in one dimension. Samples of hyperuniform and short-range disorder were designed, characterized by the statistics of the placement of micrometer-thin parallel permeable barriers, and the time-dependent diffusion coefficient was measured by NMR methods over three orders of magnitude in time. The relation between the structural exponent, characterizing disorder universality class, and the dynamical exponent of the diffusion coefficient is experimentally verified. The experimentally established relation between structure and transport exemplifies the hierarchical nature of structural complexity—dynamics are mainly determined by the universality class, whereas microscopic parameters affect the nonuniversal coefficients. These results open the way for noninvasive characterization of structural correlations in porous media, complex materials, and biological tissues via a bulk diffusion measurement.

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  • Received 18 November 2016
  • Revised 9 June 2017

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.96.061101

©2017 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Condensed Matter, Materials & Applied PhysicsPolymers & Soft MatterPhysics of Living Systems

Authors & Affiliations

Antonios Papaioannou1, Dmitry S. Novikov2, Els Fieremans2, and Gregory S. Boutis1,3,*

  • 1Department of Physics, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, New York 10016, USA
  • 2Department of Radiology, Center for Biomedical Imaging, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York 10016, USA
  • 3Department of Physics, Brooklyn College, City University of New York, Brooklyn, New York 11210, USA

  • *gboutis@brooklyn.cuny.edu

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Issue

Vol. 96, Iss. 6 — December 2017

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