  We report a systematic study of the dynamics of self-propelled particles
(SPPs) over a one-dimensional periodic potential landscape, which is fabricated
on a microgroove-patterned polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrate. From the
measured non-equilibrium probability density function of the SPPs, we find that
the escape dynamics of the slow-rotating SPPs across the potential landscape
can be described by an effective potential, once the self-propulsion force is
included into the potential under the fixed angle approximation. This work
demonstrates that the parallel microgrooves provide a versatile platform for a
quantitative understanding of the interplay among the self-propulsion force,
spatial confinement by the potential landscape, and thermal noise, as well as
its effects on activity-assisted escape dynamics and transport of the SPPs.
