“The microstructure of physical networks, where 3D nodes and links obey volume exclusion, is key to understanding their function. Here, we develop a simple model of physical links randomly connecting the opposite faces of a confined box, thanks to which we reveal the emergence of locally ordered structures as the packing densifies. We find that the 3D nature of the problem slows down the growth of the packing to a mean-field logarithmic rate, unlike the faster algebraic behavior in lower dimensions.”

Find the paper and full list of authors in PNAS.