Pattern formation and homochirality through nonlocal competitive exclusion

Homochirality is considered a signature of life, but its origins are intensely debated amid a scarcity of experiments. Existing theories often rely on unlikely prebiotic conditions—such as strong magnetic fields or asymmetries induced by asteroids—to explain the complete dominance of one chiral form over another. Here, using laser-induced pattern formation, we demonstrate that spatially extended systems with nonlocal interactions constituting positive feedback can amplify minuscule growth rate or concentration advantages, enabling one competitor to suppress the others exponentially, as in homochirality. Extending Frank’s model to include the simplest form of nonlocality in the form of diffusion leads to homochirality with much relaxed conditions for the prebiotic Earth. This nonlocality-based competitive exclusion is also parametrically controllable, allowing programmable symmetry-breaking sequences. We experimentally demonstrate technological applications such as structured coloring, superhydrophilic and superhydrophobic surfaces, and holographic sensing on metal, semiconductor, flexible glass, and polymer substrates.