Dresden 2026 – wissenschaftliches Programm

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DY: Fachverband Dynamik und Statistische Physik

DY 62: Active Matter VI (joint session DY/BP)

DY 62.4: Vortrag

Freitag, 13. März 2026, 10:30–10:45, ZEU/0160

Programmable Hydrodynamic Reconfiguration of Active Particles — •Lisa Rohde, Gordei Anchutkin, and Frank Cichos — Molecular Nanophotonics Group, Peter-Debye-Institute for Soft Matter Physics, University Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany

Self-propelled microparticles generate hydrodynamic flow fields that govern their interactions with boundaries and neighbouring particles. The long-range behavior of the flow patterns classifies them as either pushers, pullers or neutral swimmers - each exhibiting fundamentally different collective behaviours. In nature, some microorganisms can adaptively switch between swimming modes in response to their environment. However, in synthetic matter, the hydrodynamic signature is fixed during fabrication constraining our ability to study how switching between modes might enable new emergent behavior. Here, we demonstrate a novel approach for real-time switching of the hydrodynamic character of the microswimmer. By illuminating the particle with a structured light field, we create tailored temperature gradients that drive controllable slip flows on the particle*s surface. This effectively allows control over the swimmer*s flow field and enables mode switching by dynamically changing the illumination pattern on demand. The ability to alter the propulsion characteristics established a versatile platform for experimentally investigating swimming efficiency, adaptivity, and collective behavior.

Keywords: active matter; hydrodynamics; active particles