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RESEARCH PRODUCT
Transmission of torque at the nanoscale
Erdal C. OğuzErdal C. OğuzIan WilliamsPaul BartlettThomas SpeckHartmut LöwenC. Patrick Royallsubject
PhysicsCondensed matter physicsCondensed Matter - Mesoscale and Nanoscale PhysicsStatistical Mechanics (cond-mat.stat-mech)General Physics and AstronomyThermal fluctuationsFOS: Physical sciences02 engineering and technologyDissipationCondensed Matter - Soft Condensed Matter021001 nanoscience & nanotechnologyRotation01 natural sciencesMechanism (engineering)Transmission (telecommunications)0103 physical sciencesMesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall)TorqueSoft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft)Clutch010306 general physics0210 nano-technologySlippingCondensed Matter - Statistical Mechanicsdescription
In macroscopic mechanical devices torque is transmitted through gearwheels and clutches. In the construction of devices at the nanoscale, torque and its transmission through soft materials will be a key component. However, this regime is dominated by thermal fluctuations leading to dissipation. Here we demonstrate the principle of torque transmission for a disc-like colloidal assembly exhibiting clutch-like behaviour, driven by $27$ particles in optical traps. These are translated on a circular path to form a rotating boundary that transmits torque to additional particles confined to the interior. We investigate this transmission and find that it is determined by solid-like or fluid-like behaviour of the device and a stick-slip mechanism reminiscent of macroscopic gearwheels slipping. The transmission behaviour is predominantly governed by the rotation rate of the boundary and the density of the confined system. We determine the efficiency of our device and thus optimise conditions to maximise power output.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-06-11 |