Optical control of electroosmosis

Principal Investigator: Pál Ormos
This project is part of the EU-FP6 cooperation ATOM-3D

Another sample geometry was created to study the possibility of electroosmotic switching. By illuminating one branch locally the electroosmotic flow could be effectively redirected. The flow rate in the illuminated side channel could be reduced by a factor of over 6. The system was modeled in the same framework as in the case of the I-channel and the results reproduced the behaviour of the experimental system and visualize the switching mechanism:



The figure above shows the isosurfaces of the electric potential. The velocity field of the fluid flow is represented by arrows. The size of the arrows at any position is proportional to the local velocity.

Reference:
L. Oroszi, A. Dér, H. Kirei, V. Rakovics, and P. Ormos, Control of electroosmostic flow by light, Appl. Phys. Lett. 89 263508 (2006)