Condensed Matter Theory

Abstract:

Recently there has been a huge effort in the scientific community to miniaturise fluidic operations to micron and nanoscales [1]. This has changed the way scientists think about fluids, and it potentially has far-reaching technological implications, analogous to the miniaturization of electronics. The goal is to engineer "lab on a chip" devices, where numerous biological and chemical experiments can be performed rapidly, and in parallel, while consuming little reagent. © 2010 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

Abstract:

We study synchronization of an array of rotors on a substrate that are coupled by hydrodynamic interaction. Each rotor, which is modeled by an effective rigid body, is driven by an internal torque and exerts an active force on the surrounding fluid. The long-ranged nature of the hydrodynamic interaction between the rotors causes a rich pattern of dynamical behaviors including phase ordering and self-proliferating spiral waves. Our results suggest strategies for designing controllable microfluidic mixers using the emergent behavior of hydrodynamically coupled active components.