Light lets microswimmers switch between bacteria-like and algae-like propulsion
Physicists at Leipzig University and Charles University in Prague have developed a method for changing the swimming style of tiny artificial microswimmers in real time. They can make a single microscopic particle switch at will between modes of swimming inspired by bacteria and algae. The researchers have thus turned a property that was previously fixed during production into a programmable…
Scientists at Leipzig University and Charles University have devised a technique to dynamically alter the swimming behavior of diminutive artificial microswimmers using light. These microswimmers can toggle between swimming styles inspired by bacteria and algae at will. By utilizing the heat from a laser to heat the surface of gold-coated nanospheres, researchers can manipulate the flow around the particle, effectively changing its swimming style.
This breakthrough could lead to the development of programmable synthetic active matter and a deeper understanding of the efficiency of various swimming strategies.
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