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Updated: Jun 29, 2025

Fabrication and Testing of Microfluidic Optomechanical Oscillators
Published on: May 29, 2014
Optothermal Microparticle Oscillator Induced by Marangoni and Thermal Convection
Chun Meng1, Fengya Lu2, Nan-Qing Zhang1
1Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Measuring Theory and Precision Instrument, School of Instrument Scienceand Optoelectronics Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, Anhui 230009, China.
Abstract:
The light-fueled microparticle oscillator, exemplifying sustained driving in a static light source, potentially holds applications in fundamental physics, cellular manipulation, fluid dynamics, and various other soft-matter systems. The challenges of photodamage due to laser focusing on particles and the control of the oscillation direction have always been two major issues for microparticle oscillators. Here, we present an optical-thermal method for achieving a 3D microparticle oscillator with a fixed direction by employing laser heating of the gold film surface. First, the microparticle oscillation without direction limitation is studied. The photothermal conversion originates from the laser heating of a gold film. The oscillation mechanism is the coordination of the forces exerted on the particles, including the thermal convective force, thermophoresis force, and gravity. Subsequently, the additional Marangoni convection force, generated by the temperature gradient on the surface of a microbubble, is utilized to control the oscillation direction of the microparticle. Finally, a dual-channel oscillation mode is achieved by utilizing two microbubbles. During the oscillation process, the microparticle is influenced by flow field forces and temperature gradient force, completely avoiding optical damage to the oscillating microparticle.
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