One of the first attempts to integrate two highly active domains - microfluidics and liquid crystals - this book shows how to harness topology on a microfluidic platform. Opens capabilities beyond viscous-dominated microfluidics, promising broad applications.

This work represents one of the first comprehensive attempts to seamlessly integrate two highly active interdisciplinary domains in soft matter science microfluidics and liquid crystals (LCs). Motivated by the lack of fundamental experiments, Dr. Sengupta initiated systematic investigation of LC flows at micro scales, gaining new insights that are also suggestive of novel applications. By tailoring the surface anchoring of the LC molecules and the channel dimensions, different topological constraints were controllably introduced within the microfluidic devices. These topological constraints were further manipulated using a flow field, paving the way for Topological Microfluidics. Harnessing topology on a microfluidic platform, as described in this thesis, opens up capabilities beyond the conventional viscous-dominated microfluidics, promising potential applications in targeted delivery and sorting systems, self-assembled motifs, and novel metamaterial fabrications.

Nominated as an outstanding Ph.D. thesis by the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self Organization (MPIDS), Göttingen, Germany Comprehensive coverage through illustrations and gradual development of the topic Gives a clear view of the interdisciplinary possibilities offered by Topological Microfluidics Explores a variety of experimental cases of potential interest to numerical/theoretical physicists Author's comments/inputs on the practical aspects of the work will be especially useful to experimental physicists Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

Autorentext
Anupam Sengupta is a soft matter physicist at the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self Organization (MPIDS) Göttingen, Germany. Anupam defended his doctoral research on 'Liquid Crystal Microfluidics' in December 2012 with the highest distinction (summa cum laude). His current research interests include transport of complex fluids and their dispersions, patterns on soft substrates and wetting of complex fluids. He is a graduate of the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, with a Dual Degree in Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor and Master of Technology). He takes great interest in mentoring young minds and loves to travel, write and play Sitar.

Klappentext
This work represents one of the first comprehensive attempts to seamlessly integrate two highly active interdisciplinary domains in soft matter science microfluidics and liquid crystals (LCs). Motivated by the lack of fundamental experiments, Dr. Sengupta initiated systematic investigation of LC flows at micro scales, gaining new insights that are also suggestive of novel applications. By tailoring the surface anchoring of the LC molecules and the channel dimensions, different topological constraints were controllably introduced within the microfluidic devices. These topological constraints were further manipulated using a flow field, paving the way for Topological Microfluidics. Harnessing topology on a microfluidic platform, as described in this thesis, opens up capabilities beyond the conventional viscous-dominated microfluidics, promising potential applications in targeted delivery and sorting systems, self-assembled motifs, and novel metamaterial fabrications.

Inhalt
Liquid crystal theory.- Materials and experimental methods.- Functionalization of microfluidic devices.- Nematic liquid crystals confined within a microfluidic device: Static case.- Flow of nematic liquid crystals in a microfluidic environment.- Nematic colloids in microfluidic confinement.- Ongoing research.