Experimental Control of Transport and Current Reversals in a Deterministic Optical Rocking Ratchet
Soft Condensed Matter
2015-05-28 v1
Abstract
We present an experimental demonstration of a deterministic optical rocking ratchet. A periodic and asymmetric light pattern is created to interact with dielectric microparticles in water, giving rise to a ratchet potential. The sample is moved with respect to the pattern with an unbiased time-periodic rocking function, which tilts the potential in alternating opposite directions. We obtain a current of particles whose direction can be controlled in real time and show that particles of different sizes may experience opposite currents. Moreover, we observed current reversals as a function of the magnitude and period of the rocking force.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.1104.5171,
title = {Experimental Control of Transport and Current Reversals in a Deterministic Optical Rocking Ratchet},
author = {Alejandro V. Arzola and Karen Volke-Sepúlveda and José L. Mateos},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1104.5171},
year = {2015}
}
Comments
4 pages, 4 figures