InterActive SIGNED

Project "InterActive" data sheet

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 Partnership

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 Project objective

Active particles refer to out-of-equilibrium self-propulsive objects such as biological microswimmers and engineered colloidal particles that can form various fascinating collective states. Active particles are easy to observe experimentally but notoriously difficult to interact with due to their fast and stochastic dynamics at both single-particle and collective state levels. In this project, I aim at scientific breakthrough in both instrumentation that allows direct interaction with active particles and using the methodology to progress substantially our understanding of dynamics and phase transitions of active particles. The first part focuses on rendering active particles, including E. coli, C. reinhardtii and Quincke rollers, permanently magnetized and designing suitable hardware for controlling them in real time. These particles are rendered “intelligent” by programming their behavior based on real-time image analysis (long-range vision) and steering with external magnetic field. I will program these particles to reveal the limits of using local dissipative hydrodynamic near-fields to guiding active particles, and demonstrate unambiguously the extent to which a single active particle within a collective state can control the collective behaviour. The second part aims at realizing tuneable magnetic traps and other conservative potential energy landscapes for non-magnetic active particles by using magnetophoresis in superparamagnetic fluids. I will use the technique to establishing confinement-activity phase diagrams for both biological (C. reinhardtii) and synthetic (Quincke rollers) active particles in quadratic confinements. I will further reveal the role of dimensionality (1D vs 2D vs 3D) in the phase transitions of active particles and carry out the seminal investigation of active particles in periodic potentials. The results and methodologies will have a major impact, both immediately and in long-term, on experimental physics of active particles.