An acoustic vortex generator for microfluidic particle entrapment

Abstract

In this paper, we report on a flexural plate wave device (FPW) for particle entrapment inside a microfluidic channel. Surface micromachined polysilicon actuators placed inside the channel are driven at their flexural plate wave resonances by applying suitable drive-voltage to an external bulk piezoelectric PZT (Lead-Zirconate-Titanate Oxide) plate. The resonating polysilicon surface micromachines generate shear viscous acoustic field in the surrounding fluid. The field results in fluid vortices that can trap particles in the fluid flow. The acoustic vortex generator can be used for bead concentration in micro-fluidic assay.

Brillouin cavity optomechanics with microfluidic devices

“…In contrast to other optomechanical systems that typically involve standing-wave mechanical vibrations, here circulating phonons comprises the acoustic WGMs 13,22 , which are essentially acoustic vortices [40][41][42] . These travelling-wave type acoustic modes carry angular momentum, which creates possibility of using mFOM devices to enable optomechanical interactions with vortices in various liquids [43][44][45] and condensates.…”

Acoustic whispering-gallery modes in optomechanical shells

“…Different from other vibrational modes that are commonly used in optomechanics, the acoustic WGMs [32,53] that are shown here consist of circulating phonons. Such modes are therefore generally referred to as acoustic vortices [63][64][65]. As they carry angular momentum, the acoustic vortices that we show here can assist in coupling with BEC [66] and superfluid vortices [67][68][69].…”