Microscale mapping of oscillatory flows

Spas Nedev, S. Carretero-Palacios, S. R. Kirchner, F. Jäckel and J. Feldmann

We present an optofluidic method that allows the two-dimensional vectorial near-field mapping of oscillatory flows with micron-scale resolution. An oscillatory flow created by a microsource (an optically trapped silica particle set to oscillate in a dipole-type mode) is detected by another twin silica particle independently trapped and located in the vicinity of the source. Fourier analysis of the motion of the detecting particle at different points in space and time renders the vectorial velocity map around the oscillating microsphere. The method introduced here paves the way for in-situ characterization of fast mixing microscale devices and for new detection methods able to provide location and recognition (due to the field pattern) of moving sources that may be applied to both artificial and living microobjects, including macromolecules, cells, and microorganisms.

DOI