Topological defects in solids with odd elasticity

Understand

Crystallography typically studies collections of point particles whose interaction forces are the gradient of a potential.

• Lifting this assumption generically gives rise in the continuum limit to a form of elasticity with additional moduli known as odd elasticity.
• We show that such odd elastic moduli modify the strain induced by topological defects and their interactions, even reversing the stability of, otherwise, bound dislocation pairs.
• Beyond continuum theory, isolated dislocations can self propel via microscopic work cycles active at their cores that compete with conventional Peach-Koehler forces caused, for example, by an ambient torque density.