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Absolute negative particle mobility

Author

Listed:
  • Alexandra Ros

    (Experimental Biophysics & Applied Nanosciences, Bielefeld University)

  • Ralf Eichhorn

    (Condensed Matter Theory, Bielefeld University)

  • Jan Regtmeier

    (Experimental Biophysics & Applied Nanosciences, Bielefeld University)

  • Thanh Tu Duong

    (Experimental Biophysics & Applied Nanosciences, Bielefeld University)

  • Peter Reimann

    (Condensed Matter Theory, Bielefeld University)

  • Dario Anselmetti

    (Experimental Biophysics & Applied Nanosciences, Bielefeld University)

Abstract

Noise effects in technological applications, far from being a nuisance, can be exploited with advantage — for example, unavoidable thermal fluctuations have found application in the transport and sorting of colloidal particles1,2,3 and biomolecules4,5,6. Here we use a microfluidic system to demonstrate a paradoxical migration mechanism in which particles always move in a direction opposite to the net acting force (‘absolute negative mobility’) as a result of an interplay between thermal noise, a periodic and symmetric microstructure, and a biased alternating-current electric field. This counterintuitive phenomenon could be used for bioanalytical purposes, for example in the separation and fractionation of colloids, biological molecules and cells.

Suggested Citation

  • Alexandra Ros & Ralf Eichhorn & Jan Regtmeier & Thanh Tu Duong & Peter Reimann & Dario Anselmetti, 2005. "Absolute negative particle mobility," Nature, Nature, vol. 436(7053), pages 928-928, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:436:y:2005:i:7053:d:10.1038_436928a
    DOI: 10.1038/436928a
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    Cited by:

    1. Eric Cereceda-López & Alexander P. Antonov & Artem Ryabov & Philipp Maass & Pietro Tierno, 2023. "Overcrowding induces fast colloidal solitons in a slowly rotating potential landscape," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-8, December.
    2. Chen, Ru-Yin & Tong, Lu-Mei & Nie, Lin-Ru & Wang, Chaojie & Pan, Wanli, 2017. "Anomalous transports in a time-delayed system subjected to anomalous diffusion," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 468(C), pages 532-539.
    3. Fang, Yuwen & Luo, Yuhui & Zeng, Chunhua, 2022. "Dichotomous noise-induced negative mass and mobility of inertial Brownian particle," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).

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