Turbulent-like flows in quasi two-dimensional dense suspensions of motile colloids

Dense bacterial suspensions exhibit turbulent-like flows at low Reynolds numbers, driven by the activity of the microswimmers. In this study, we develop a model system to examine these dynamics using motile colloids that mimic bacterial locomotion. The colloids are powered by the Quincke instability, which causes them to spontaneously roll in a random-walk pattern when exposed to a square-wave electric field. We experimentally investigate the flow dynamics in dense suspensions of these Quincke random walkers under quasi two-dimensional conditions, where the particle size is comparable to the gap between the electrodes. Our results reveal an energy spectrum scaling at high wavenumbers as $\sim k^{-4}$, which holds across a broad range of activity levels – controlled by the field strength – and particle concentrations. We observe that velocity time correlations decay within a single period of the square-wave field, yet an anti-correlation appears between successive field applications, indicative of a dynamic structural memory of the ensemble.