Paradoxical Brownian motion in a microfluidic device: Absolute negative mobility

R. Eichhorn, A. Ros, J. Regtmeier, T. Tu Duong, P. Reimann, D. Anselmetti

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

11 Scopus citations

Abstract

We report on a paradoxical migration mechanism in a microstructured lab-on-a-chip environment. The phenomenon is based on a subtle interplay between Brownian motion (thermal noise), a periodic and symmetric microstructure, and a biased AC electric field. The resulting non-linear dynamics far from thermal equilibrium gives rise to absolute negative mobility, i.e. a migrational transport, which is - both for negative and positive bias - always opposite to the net acting force, in good agreement between experiment and theory.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)159-164
Number of pages6
JournalEuropean Physical Journal: Special Topics
Volume143
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 2007
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Materials Science
  • General Physics and Astronomy
  • Physical and Theoretical Chemistry

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