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We propose a highly efficient mechanism to rectify the motion of active particles by exploiting particle-wall alignment interactions. Through numerical simulations of active particles' dynamics in a narrow channel, we demonstrate that a…
Active particles affect their environment as much as the environment affects their active motion. Here, we present an experimental system where both can be simultaneously adjusted in situ using an external AC electric field. The environment…
The optical properties of liquid crystals serve as the basis for display, diagnostic, and sensing technologies. Such properties are generally controlled by relying on electric fields. In this work, we investigate the effects of microfluidic…
Catalytically active Janus particles suspended in solution create gradients in the chemical composition of the solution along their surfaces, as well as along any nearby container walls. The former leads to self-phoresis, while the latter…
Controlled breakdown has recently emerged as a highly appealing technique to fabricate solid-state nanopores for a wide range of biosensing applications. This technique relies on applying an electric field of approximately 0.6-1 V/nm across…
Cold atoms in optical lattices have emerged as an ideal system to investigate the ratchet effect, as demonstrated by several recent experiments. In this work we analyze theoretically two aspects of ac driven transport in cold atoms…
We combine quantum-chemical calculations and molecular dynamics simulations to consider aqueous ion flow across non-axisymmetric nanopores in monolayer graphene and MoS$_2$. When the pore-containing membrane is subject to uniaxial tensile…
The motion of active colloids is generally achieved through their anisotropy, as exemplified by Janus colloids. Recently, there was a growing interest in the propulsion of isotropic colloids, which requires some local symmetry breaking.…
Microscopic active droplets are of interest since they can be used to transport matter from one point to another. The challenge is to control the trajectory. In this work, we demonstrate an approach to control the direction of active…
The classical theory of electrokinetic phenomena assumes a dilute solution of point-like ions in chemical equilibrium with a surface whose double-layer voltage is of order the thermal voltage, $k_BT/e = 25$ mV. In nonlinear…
We suggest a new spin orientation mechanism for localized electrons: $dynamic~electron~spin~polarization~provided~by~nuclear~spin~fluctuations$. The angular momentum for the electrons is gained from the nuclear spin system via the hyperfine…
We demonstrate the phenomenon of directed diffusion in a symmetric periodic potential. This has been realized with cold atoms in a one-dimensional dissipative optical lattice. The stochastic process of optical pumping leads to a diffusive…
Self-propelled bacteria are marvels of nature with a potential to power dynamic materials and microsystems of the future. The challenge is in commanding their chaotic behavior. By dispersing swimming Bacillus subtilis in a…
We report an experimental study on the manipulation of colloidal particles in a drop sitting on a hydrogel. The manipulation is achieved by diffusiophoresis, which describes a directed motion of particles induced by solute gradients. By…
Solid-ion conductors (SICs) comprising non-ionic plastic crystals and lithium salts often require compositing with polymers to render them processable for use in solid-state lithium-metal batteries. Here, we show that polymer-doped plastic…
Recent experiments have found that applied electric fields can induce motion of skyrmions in chiral nematic liquid crystals. To understand the magnitude and direction of the induced motion, we develop a coarse-grained approach to describe…
We report on the degree of order of the vortex solid in YBa2Cu3O7 single crystals observed in ac susceptibility measurements. We show that when vortices are "shaken" by a temporarily symmetric ac field they are driven into an easy-to-move,…
The control of ultrafast molecular rotational motion has benefited from the development of innovative techniques in strong-field laser physics. Here, we theoretically demonstrate a novel type of coherent control by inducing rotation of an…
We explore the dynamics of non-interacting particles loaded into a phase-modulated one-dimensional lattice formed by laterally oscillating square barriers. Tuning the parameters of the driven unit cell of the lattice selected parts of the…
Second-order nonlinear optics is the base for a large variety of devices aimed at the active manipulation of light. However, physical principles restrict its occurrence to non-centrosymmetric, anisotropic matter. This significantly limits…