title: Producing droplets in parallel microfluidic systems.
abstract: We study the dynamics of two microfluidic droplets emitters placed in parallel. We observe complex dynamical behavior, including synchronization, quasiperiodicity, and chaos. This dynamics has a considerable impact on the properties of the resulting emulsions: chaotic and quasi-periodic regimes give rise to polydispersed emulsions with poorly controllable characteristics, whereas synchronized regimes generate well-controlled monodispersed emulsions. We derive a dynamical model that reproduces the trends observed in the experiment.
authors.affiliation: Theorie et microfluidique, ESPCI 10, rue Vauquelin, 75231 Paris, France.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Barbier
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Willaime
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tabeling
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jousse