Reentrant condensation transition in a model of driven scalar active matter with diffusivity edge

Abstract

Abstract The effect of a diffusivity edge is studied in a system of scalar active matter confined by a periodic potential and driven by an externally applied force. We find that this system shows qualitatively distinct stationary regimes depending on the amplitude of the driving force with respect to the potential barrier. For small driving, the diffusivity edge induces a transition to a condensed phase analogous to the Bose–Einstein-like condensation reported for the nondriven case, which is characterized by a density-independent steady state current. Conversely, large external forces lead to a qualitatively different phase diagram since in this case condensation is only possible beyond a given density threshold, while the associated transition at higher densities is found to be reentrant.