title: Colloidal crystallization and transport in stripes and mazes.
abstract: We study guided crystallization and transport of paramagnetic spheres on top of a magnetic film that arranges its domains into stripes or mazes. In the absence of liquid flow, the paramagnetic spheres are confined within the magnetic domains, and it is shown how the particles self-assemble into several interesting phases depending on the complexity of the domain patterns. We also find that colloids guided through a complex maze exhibit structured patterns that can be controlled by an external magnetic field. The results presented here could help us understand both static and dynamic properties of pattern formation in confined geometries of tunable complexity.
authors.affiliation: School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Division of Physics and Applied Physics, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
authors.forename: L E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Helseth
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Backus
authors.forename: T H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Johansen
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Fischer
mesh_terms: D001692:Biological Transport; D003102:Colloids / Q000737:chemistry*; D003460:Crystallization; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields; D008280:Magnetics; D008859:Microscopy, Polarization; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D003102:Colloids