Flow manipulation of a nematic liquid crystal in a Hele-Shaw cell with an electrically controlled viscous obstruction
The flow of a nematic liquid crystal in a Hele-Shaw cell with an electrically controlled viscous obstruction is investigated using both a theoretical model and physical experiments. The viscous obstruction is created by temporarily electrically altering the viscosity of the nematic in a region of the cell across which an electric field is applied. The theoretical model is validated experimentally for a circular cylindrical obstruction, demonstrating user-controlled flow manipulation of an anisotropic liquid within a heterogeneous single-phase microfluidic device.
Authors
- C. V. Brown (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1559-3238)
- Joseph R. L. Cousins (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1723-5386)
- S. K. Wilson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7841-9643)
- Akhshay Singh Bhadwal (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6700-2604)
- N. J. Mottram (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7265-0059)
Institutions
- University of Strathclyde (GB)
- Nottingham Trent University (GB)
- University of Glasgow (GB)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Journal of Fluid Mechanics
- Published
- 2024-09-30
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1017/jfm.2024.397
- Citations
- 3
- Primary Topic
- Liquid Crystal Research Advancements
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.35
Funders
- Nottingham Trent University
- Trent University
- Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council