Memories of amplitude and direction coexist and compete in non-Brownian suspensions

Abstract

Steadily shearing a non-Brownian suspension forms a memory of direction, while shearing back and forth forms a memory of amplitude. Each memory is evident in the systems response to further shear, exemplifying its strong history-dependence. By combining the steady and oscillatory experiments, we show these memories are distinct but intersecting aspects of the same non-equilibrium physics: they can coexist, yet a specific amplitude suppresses directional memory and makes the system symmetric. Combined with prior results from disordered solids, our work presents a simple motif for limited memory capacity in non-equilibrium matter.