Impurity-tuned non-equilibrium phase transition in a bacterial carpet

Abstract

The effects of impurity on the non-equilibrium phase transition in Vibrio alginolyticus bacterial carpets are investigated through a position-sensitive-diode implemented optical tweezers-microsphere assay. The collective flow increases abruptly as we increase the rotation rate of flagella via Na+ concentration. The effects of impurities on the transition behavior are examined by mixing cells of a wild type strain (VIO5) with cells of a mutant strain (NMB136) in different swimming patterns. For dilute impurities, the transition point is shifted toward higher Na+ concentration. Increasing the impurities' ratio to over 0.25 leads to a significant drop in the collective force, suggesting a partial orientational order with a smaller correlation length.