Assembly of Superparamagnetic Filaments in External Field.

We present a theoretical and simulation study of anchored magneto-elastic filaments in external magnetic field. The filaments are composed of a mixture of superparamagnetic and nonmagnetic colloidal beads interlinked with elastic springs. We explore the steady-state structures of filaments with various composition and bending rigidity subject to external magnetic field parallel to the surface. The interplay of elastic and induced magnetic interactions results in a rich phase behavior with morphologies reminiscent of macromolecular folding: bent filaments, loops, sheets, helicoids, and other collapsed structures. Our results provide new insights into the design of hierarchically assembled supramolecular structures with controlled response to external stimuli.