Active nematic flow networks: From autonomous microfluidics to computation

Active nematic flow networks: From autonomous microfluidics to computation

Active nematics are non-equilibrium fluids composed of self-driven units that transform chemical energy into mechanical motion. A distinctive hallmark of these systems is their spontaneous self-organization into collective states with long-range orientational order, as well as their capability to adapt to the environments where they reside. Recent theoretical and numerical works have shown the potential of these active fluids to control information transport in active flow networks, i.e. networks of connected channels. These theoretical and numerical works have laid the conceptual foundation for developing autonomous microfluidic transport devices and design principles to construct universal logical operations, Fredkin gates, or memory storage in set-reset latches, through the synchronized self-organization of many individual network channels. Despite the fascinating perspective of using active fluids for computation, these ideas have not been experimentally explored yet. This research project will combine experiments and numerical simulations to build active flow networks capable of sustaining autonomous flows and performing logical operations for the first time.

Supporting mechanism: UChicago-CNRS PhD Joint Programme

Active dates: July 1, 2024-June 30, 2026