{
  "abstract": "Standard quorum-sensing models in active matter exhibit collective phenomena such as motility-induced phase separation. Here, we show that incorporating competing sensing ranges-- a minimal ingredient inspired by microbial communication --qualitatively changes this behavior, replacing macroscopic phase separation with self-organized microphases characterized by an emergent finite length scale. Starting from the microscopic dynamics, we derive a coarse-grained field theory whose coefficients are explicitly related to the moments of the microscopic sensing function. This mapping enables a direct comparison between particle-based simulations and continuum theory, allowing the characteristic modulation and correlation lengths to be predicted directly from the microscopic interaction parameters. Two-dimensional numerical simulations confirm these predictions and reveal a transition from macrophase separation to finite-wavelength density modulations as the competition between sensing scales increases. For stronger competing interactions, the system develops a peculiar cluster phase with an interstitial percolating network, which is captured by a higher-order gradient expansion. Our results identify competing quorum-sensing interactions as a simple microscopic mechanism for generating tunable active microphases.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": "2607.23259",
  "author_total": 3,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Michele Antonioli"
    },
    {
      "name": "Nicoletta Gnan"
    },
    {
      "name": "Claudio Maggi"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/1vdw47bgfdmtp.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.48550/arxiv.2607.23259",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "1vdw47bgfdmtp",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2607.23259",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "LicenseRef-arXiv-nonexclusive-1.0",
  "licence_label": "arXiv licence",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "http://arxiv.org/licenses/nonexclusive-distrib/1.0/",
  "metadata_licence": "CC0-1.0",
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "arxiv",
      "cond-mat.soft"
    ],
    [
      "arxiv",
      "cond-mat.stat-mech"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "3104|Micro and Nano Robotics"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7171548449",
  "pdf_url": "https://arxiv.org/pdf/2607.23259",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-09-25",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/1vdw47bgfdmtp.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:24:52Z",
      "native_id": "2607.23259",
      "source": "arxiv",
      "url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2607.23259"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "physics",
      "origin": "arxiv:cond-mat.soft",
      "subfield": "condensed-matter"
    },
    {
      "field": "physics",
      "origin": "arxiv:cond-mat.stat-mech",
      "subfield": "statistical-nonlinear"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Microphase Separation in Quorum-Sensing Active Particles with Competing Interactions",
  "title_text": "Microphase Separation in Quorum-Sensing Active Particles with Competing Interactions",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:24:52Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/1vdw47bgfdmtp",
  "venue": "arXiv",
  "versions": []
}