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Electrically activated ferroelectric nematic microrobots

Author

Listed:
  • Marcell Tibor Máthé

    (HUN-REN Wigner Research Centre for Physics, P.O. Box 49
    P.O. Box 32)

  • Hiroya Nishikawa

    (RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS))

  • Fumito Araoka

    (RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS))

  • Antal Jákli

    (HUN-REN Wigner Research Centre for Physics, P.O. Box 49
    Kent State University
    Kent State University)

  • Péter Salamon

    (HUN-REN Wigner Research Centre for Physics, P.O. Box 49)

Abstract

Ferroelectric nematic liquid crystals are fluids exhibiting spontaneous electric polarization, which is coupled to their long range orientational order. Due to their inherent property of making bound and surface charges, the free surface of ferroelectric nematics becomes unstable in electric fields. Here we show that ferroelectric liquid bridges between two electrode plates undergo distinct interfacial instabilities. In a specific range of frequency and voltage, the ferroelectric fluid bridges move as active interacting particles resembling living organisms like swarming insects, microbes or microrobots. The motion is accompanied by sound emission, as a consequence of piezoelectricity and electrostriction. Statistical analysis of the active particles reveals that the movement can be controlled by the applied voltage, which implies the possible application of the system in new types of microfluidic devices.

Suggested Citation

  • Marcell Tibor Máthé & Hiroya Nishikawa & Fumito Araoka & Antal Jákli & Péter Salamon, 2024. "Electrically activated ferroelectric nematic microrobots," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-8, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:15:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-024-50226-y
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50226-y
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Richard J. Mandle & Nerea Sebastián & Josu Martinez-Perdiguero & Alenka Mertelj, 2021. "On the molecular origins of the ferroelectric splay nematic phase," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-12, December.
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    3. Marc Z. Miskin & Alejandro J. Cortese & Kyle Dorsey & Edward P. Esposito & Michael F. Reynolds & Qingkun Liu & Michael Cao & David A. Muller & Paul L. McEuen & Itai Cohen, 2020. "Electronically integrated, mass-manufactured, microscopic robots," Nature, Nature, vol. 584(7822), pages 557-561, August.
    4. Shuguang Li & Richa Batra & David Brown & Hyun-Dong Chang & Nikhil Ranganathan & Chuck Hoberman & Daniela Rus & Hod Lipson, 2019. "Particle robotics based on statistical mechanics of loosely coupled components," Nature, Nature, vol. 567(7748), pages 361-365, March.
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