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We lay the theoretical basis for one-bead microrheology with rotating particles, i.e, a method where colloids are used to probe the mechanical properties of viscoelastic media. Based on a two-fluid model, we calculate the compliance and…
We simulate an experiment in which a colloidal probe is pulled through an active nematic fluid. We find that the drag on the particle is non-Stokesian (not proportional to its radius). Strikingly, a large enough particle in contractile…
We study by simulation the physics of two colloidal particles in a cholesteric liquid crystal with tangential order parameter alignment at the particle surface. The effective force between the pair is attractive at short range and favors…
We study the dynamics of a driven spherical colloidal particle moving in a fluid with a broken rotational symmetry. Using a nematic liquid crystal as a model, we demonstrate that when the applied force is not aligned along or perpendicular…
We propose a hybrid lattice Boltzmann algorithm to simulate the hydrodynamics of colloidal particles inside a liquid crystalline host. To validate our algorithm, we study the static and the microrheology of a colloid in a nematic, with…
Bulk rheological properties of viscoelastic fluids have been extensively studied in macroscopic shearing geometries. However, little is known when an active microscopic probe is used to locally perturb them far from the linear-response…
Particle-tracking microrheology of dilute active (self-propelled) colloidal suspensions is studied by considering the external force required to maintain the steady motion of an immersed constant-velocity colloidal probe. If the probe speed…
Isolated microscopic magnetic particles are used to induce local perturbations in dense colloidal suspensions by rotating an external magnet. Confocal microscopy enables tracking of both the magnetic probe particle and adjacent colloidal…
The friction and diffusion coefficients of rigid spherical colloidal particles dissolved in a fluid are determined from velocity and force autocorrelation functions by mesoscale hydrodynamic simulations. Colloids with both slip and no-slip…
We numerically investigate a colloidal particle driven through a colloidal crystal as a function of temperature. When the charge of the driven particle is larger or comparable to that of the colloids comprising the crystal, a local melting…
Non-equilibrium dynamics of topological defects can be used as a fundamental propulsion mechanism in microscopic active matter. Here, we demonstrate swimming of topological defect-propelled colloidal particles in (passive) nematic fluids…
We explore structural and dynamical behavior of concentrated colloidal suspensions made up by C-shape particles using Brownian dynamics computer simulations and theory. In particular, we focus on the entanglement process between nearby…
We simulate colloids (radius $R \sim 1\mu$m) trapped at the interface between a cholesteric liquid crystal and an immiscible oil, at which the helical order (pitch p) in the bulk conflicts with the orientation induced at the interface,…
In complex crystals close to melting or at finite temperatures, different types of defects are ubiquitous and their role becomes relevant in the mechanical response of these solids. Conventional elasticity theory fails to provide a…
Microscopic particles suspended in liquids are the prime example of an overdamped system because viscous forces dominate over inertial effects. Apart from their use as model systems, they receive considerable attention as sensitive probes…
Building a general theoretical framework to describe the microscopic origin of macroscopic chirality in (colloidal) liquid crystals is a long-standing challenge. Here, we combine classical density functional theory with Monte Carlo…
By performing dynamic Monte Carlo simulations, we investigate the microrheology of isotropic suspensions of hard-core colloidal cuboids. In particular, we infer the local viscoelastic behaviour of these fluids by studying the dynamics of a…
Deviations between macrorheological and particle-based microrheological measurements are often considered a nuisance and neglected. We study aqueous poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) hydrogels for varying PEO concentrations and chain lengths that…
We study the rheological properties of colloidal microphases in two dimensions simulating a model of colloidal particles with competing interactions. Due to the competition between short-range attraction and long-range repulsion, as a…
Understanding the rheology of colloidal suspensions is crucial in the formulation of a wide selection of industry-relevant products. To characterise the viscoelastic behaviour of these soft materials, one can analyse the microscopic…