Title | How to steer active colloids up a vertical wall |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2024 |
Authors | Carreira, A. Fins, A. Wysocki, C. Ybert, M. Leocmach, H. Rieger, and C. Cottin-Bizonne |
Journal | Nature Communications |
Volume | 15 |
Pagination | 1710 |
ISBN Number | 2041-1723 |
Abstract | An important challenge in active matter lies in harnessing useful global work from entities that produce work locally, e.g., via self-propulsion. We investigate here the active matter version of a classical capillary rise effect, by considering a non-phase separated sediment of self-propelled Janus colloids in contact with a vertical wall. We provide experimental evidence of an unexpected and dynamic adsorption layer at the wall. Additionally, we develop a complementary numerical model that recapitulates the experimental observations. We show that an adhesive and aligning wall enhances the pre-existing polarity heterogeneity within the bulk, enabling polar active particles to climb up a wall against gravity, effectively powering a global flux. Such steady-state flux has no equivalent in a passive wetting layer. |
URL | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-45872-1 |
DOI | 10.1038/s41467-024-45872-1 |
Citation Key | cite-key |