Utilizing active suspensions: Creating micro-machines and electric circuits

• Applicant: Dr. Andreas Kaiser
• Subject Area: Statistical Physics, Nonlinear Dynamics, Complex Systems, Soft and Fluid Matter, Biological Physics ; Theoretical Condensed Matter Physics
• Term: from 2015 to 2017
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 275167157

In the proposed research project it is planned to address how far active suspensions can be utilized. Active suspensions contain various self-propelled particles. Such particles have an internal self-propulsion mechanism allowing them to perform a directed motion. Examples of active particles can be found on various length scales and in various research domains in science. In biology there are e.g. birds and fish - even human beings can be considered as active particles. On smaller length scales bacteria and sperm are common examples. In the last years various micron-sized artificial realizations of active particles have been achieved. Their self-propulsion is usually due to some self-induced chemical reactions. Recently, numerous studies concentrated on the dynamics of single swimmers and the study of their collective behavior.Up to know most studies concentrated on bulk suspensions. In the proposed research project active suspensions will create micro-machines which will perform a directed rotation. Properly shaped passive building blocks will aggregate in a turbulent bacterial bath and spontaneously perform a directed rotation. This will be carried out by numerical simulations done by the applicant and experiments done at the host institute.Furthermore a new class of active particles is going to be invented. Instead of chemical reactions photovolatic effects will enable the self-propulsion of individual particles. Properly functionalized particles will self-assemble to chains, which will be able to act as electric circuits. As before, these studies will combine numerical and experimental studies.

• DFG Programme: Research Fellowships
• International Connection: USA
• Host: Professor Dr. Igor Aronson