Liquid crystal microfluidics for tunable flow shaping.
Phys Rev Lett
; 110(4): 048303, 2013 Jan 25.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-25166209
ABSTRACT
We explore the flow of a nematic liquid crystal in microfluidic channels with a rectangular cross section through experiments and numerical modeling. The flow profile and the liquid crystal orientational profile show three distinct regimes of weak, medium, and strong flow as the driving pressure is varied. These are identified by comparing polarizing optical microscopy experiments and numerical solutions of the nematofluidic equations of motion. The relative stability of the regimes is related to the de Gennes characteristic shear-flow lengths e(1) and e(2), together with the channel's aspect ratio w/d. Finally, we show that the liquid crystalline microfluidic flow can be fully steered from left to right of a simple microchannel by applying transverse temperature gradients.
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Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Microfluídica
/
Cristais Líquidos
Tipo de estudo:
Prognostic_studies
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2013
Tipo de documento:
Article