Chiral propulsion by electromagnetic fields

Abstract

We consider the propulsion of micron-scale chiral objects by electromagnetic fields in fluids - a problem with broad applications in microfluidics, pharmaceutics, and biomedicine. Because of the small size of the moving objects, the propulsion can be described by the Stokes equation possessing the time-reversal invariance. We propose a method of evaluating the propulsion velocity based on the Green's function of the Stokes equation. As an illustration, we first use it to provide a simple derivation of the classic Stokes law for a sphere moving in a viscous fluid. We then use this method for describing the propulsion of helical bodies, evaluate the propulsion velocity, and find that it does not depend on the viscosity of the fluid as long as the Reynolds number remains small. As an application, we describe recent experimental results on the propulsion of nano-propellers by electromagnetic fields in water, with a good agreement with the data. We also discuss applications to optofluidic chiral sorting of molecules by rotating electromagnetic fields and circularly polarized light.