Pure hydrodynamic instabilities in active jets of "puller" microalgae

Abstract

Active fluids can develop spontaneous flow instabilities and complex patterns. However, spatio-temporal control of active particles has remained challenging, despite its relevance in biological and applied contexts. Here, we harnessed phototaxis to steer millions of swimming ``puller" Chlamydomonas reinhardtii algae to create active jets and control both pearling and buckling instabilities through the preferential orientation of the cells. Our experiments, supported by a full analytical model and simulations, confirm long-standing predictions that self-generated flows can lead to jet destabilization. Our results further indicate that pullers can behave analogously to pushers when their orientation is properly tuned, and demonstrate how light enables efficient control of active fluids.