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Patterning and micromanipulation of miscible fluids using vortex-based single-beam acoustic tweezers

Samir Almohamad1,*, Gustav K. Modler2,*, Ravinder Chutani1, Udita U. Ghosh1, Sarah Cleve1,†, Henrik Bruus2,‡, and Michael Baudoin1,3,§

  • *These authors contributed equally.
  • †Contact author: sarah.cleve@univ-lille.fr
  • ‡Contact author: bruus@fysik.dtu.dk
  • §Contact author: michael.baudoin@univ-lille.fr
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Phys. Rev. Applied 23, 054094 – Published 30 May, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevApplied.23.054094

Abstract

Vortex-based single-beam tweezers have the ability to precisely and selectively move a wide range of objects, including particles, bubbles, droplets, and cells with sizes ranging from the millimeter to micrometer scale. In 2017, Karlsen and Bruus [Phys. Rev. Appl. 7, 034017 (2017)] theoretically suggested that these tweezers could also address one of the most challenging issues: the patterning and manipulation of miscible fluids. In this paper, we experimentally demonstrate this ability using acoustic vortex beams generated by interdigital transducer-based active holograms. The experimental results are supported by a numerical model based on acoustic body force simulations. This work paves the way for the precise shaping of chemical concentration fields, a crucial factor in numerous chemical and biological processes.

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Phys. Rev. Applied 23, 054094– Published 30 May, 2025
  • Received 3 September 2024
  • Revised 19 January 2025
  • Accepted 29 April 2025
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