Séminaire

Mardi 15 Septembre 2026 à 11h00.

Interaction-Induced Memories Reveal the Complexity of Disordered Matter

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Memory effects probe the complexity of disordered matter and its fundamental constituents and interactions. While models based on independent elements capture generic memories, interactions are predicted to produce many new memory effects which so far have been observed in artificial systems only. Here, we reveal that archetypal disordered materials – shape memory alloys, crumpled sheets, and steel wool – store multiple memories that strengthen with repeated cycling, in stark contrast to predictions for non-interacting systems. Interacting-based models capture our observations and predict a cascade of interaction-induced memory motifs, including the dominant one observed here. Moreover, we use these insights to identify and observe additional, subdominant memories. Our results reveal hitherto hidden complexity in disordered media, opening a fresh route towards the observation, modeling and utilization of mechanical memories, including or in materia computing.

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