Controlling crystal self-assembly using a real-time feedback scheme

Abstract: We simulate crystallisation of hard spheres with short-ranged attractive potentials, as a model self-assembling system. We show how measurements of correlation and response functions during assembly can be used to tune the interaction parameters as assembly proceeds, in order to obtain high-quality crystals. The method we use is independent of details of the interaction potential and of the structure of the final crystal - we propose that it could be applied to a wide range of self-assembling systems.