Figure 2. Reproducibility and universality of the delayed crystallization.

(a) Intensity of the lamellar scattering peak as a function of time since cooling back down to 37°C. Intensity normalized to be between 1 (metastable state) and 0 (crystalline state after delayed transition), and time normalized by τ. A collapse of the entire data set, containing more than 60 experiments in varying conditions, highlights the robustness of the metastability dynamics and ensuing collective phase-transition. This emphasizes the governing role of τ in the dynamics. (b) Distribution of τ from measurements on 24 different samples. Black curve shows a Gaussian fit with an average delay time of <τ> = 34 hours and a standard deviation of 16.4 hours. The minimal recrystallization time (τ) measured was 9 hours. Experiments performed on samples containing 95:5 DLPE:DLPG at 150 mM monovalent salt.