title: Independent positioning of magnetic nanomotors.
abstract: There is considerable interest in powering and maneuvering nanostructures remotely in fluidic media using noninvasive fuel-free methods, for which small homogeneous magnetic fields are ideally suited. Current strategies include helical propulsion of chiral nanostructures, cilia-like motion of flexible filaments, and surface assisted translation of asymmetric colloidal doublets and magnetic nanorods, in all of which the individual structures are moved in a particular direction that is completely tied to the characteristics of the driving fields. As we show in this paper, when we use appropriate magnetic field configurations and actuation time scales, it is possible to maneuver geometrically identical nanostructures in different directions, and subsequently position them at arbitrary locations with respect to each other. The method reported here requires proximity of the nanomotors to a solid surface, and could be useful in applications that require remote and independent control over individual components in microfluidic environments.
authors.affiliation: †Centre for Nano Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India.
authors.forename: Pranay
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mandal
authors.affiliation: †Centre for Nano Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India.
authors.forename: Vaishali
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Chopra
authors.affiliation: †Centre for Nano Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India.|‡Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India.|§Department of Electrical Communication Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India.
authors.forename: Ambarish
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ghosh
keywords: active matter; glancing angle deposition; independent control; magnetic actuation; nanomotors; nanopropulsion