Microscopic insights into dynamical heterogeneity in a lane forming colloid

Microscopic origin of dynamical heterogeneity (DH) in non-equilibrium systems has been a topic of profound interest over the last decades. However, the theoretical description of DH has been debated for it lacks a structural description. Using Brownian Dynamics simulations, in a model lane forming system of constantly driven charged binary colloidal suspension, we explore DH in terms of multiple relaxing partial structures between particles of different mobilities that relax at different rates and have distinct lifetimes of structural relaxation. Further, we show that the heterogeneity in structural relaxation maximizes when effective poly-dispersity has a maximum.