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Chemotactic and autochemotactic effects in self-propelling droplets
Artificial microswimmers are an emerging field of research, attracting interest as testing beds for physical theories of complex biological entities, as inspiration for the design of smart materials, and for the sheer elegance, and often quite counterintuitive phenomena of experimental nonlinear dynamics.
Self-propelling droplets are among the most simplified swimmer models imaginable, requiring just three components (oil, water, surfactant). In this talk, I will show how such inherently stupid objects can make surprisingly smart decisions based on interactions with microfluidic geometries and self-generated and external chemical fields.