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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 13, 2026

Assembly and Characterization of an External Driver for the Generation of Sub-Kilohertz Oscillatory Flow in Microchannels

Assembly and Characterization of an External Driver for the Generation of Sub-Kilohertz Oscillatory Flow in Microchannels

Published on: January 28, 2022

Hydrodynamic synchronization of colloidal oscillators.

Jurij Kotar¹, Marco Leoni, Bruno Bassetti

¹Cavendish Laboratory and Nanoscience Center, University of Cambridge, JJ Thomson Avenue, CB3 0HE Cambridge, United Kingdom.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

|April 14, 2010

Summary

Hydrodynamically coupled colloidal spheres synchronize their oscillations. The antiphase state is stable, with period dependent on coupling strength, offering insights into biological systems like cilia and flagella.

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Area of Science:

Physics, Soft Matter
Fluid Dynamics
Nonlinear Dynamics

Background:

Colloidal spheres in optical traps exhibit oscillations.
Hydrodynamic interactions mediate coupling between oscillating particles.
Synchronization phenomena are observed in various physical and biological systems.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the synchronization dynamics of two hydrodynamically coupled colloidal oscillators.
To determine the stability of the antiphase dynamical state.
To explore the influence of coupling strength and natural frequency differences on synchronization.

Main Methods:

Utilizing an optical trap to induce oscillations in colloidal spheres.
Analyzing hydrodynamic interactions through fluid flow.
Theoretical analysis to prove stability and dependence of period on coupling strength.
Experimental observation of synchronization phenomena.

Main Results:

The antiphase dynamical state of the oscillators is proven to be stable in the absence of noise.
The oscillation period is shown to depend on the coupling strength.
Synchronization is lost when the natural frequencies of the oscillators differ significantly.
Experimental results confirm the theoretical predictions.

Conclusions:

Hydrodynamic coupling can lead to stable synchronization in colloidal oscillators.
The observed synchronization mechanism provides insight into collective motions in biological systems, such as cilia and flagella.
Weakly correlated phase fluctuations characterize hydrodynamically coupled systems with thermal noise.