Directed transport driven by the transverse wall vibration

TL;DR

This paper investigates how transverse wall vibrations in an asymmetric tube can induce and control directed transport of overdamped Brownian particles, with current direction depending on vibration frequency.

Contribution

It demonstrates that wall vibrations can generate and reverse particle current in asymmetric channels, revealing a new method for controlling transport at microscopic scales.

Findings

Wall vibration induces net current in asymmetric tubes.

Current direction depends on vibration frequency.

Frequency tuning can reverse particle flow.

Abstract

Directed transport of overdamped Brownian particles in an asymmetrically periodic tube is investigated in the presence of the tube wall vibration. From the Brownian dynamics simulations we can find that the perpendicular wall vibration can induce a net current in the longitudinal direction when the tube is asymmetric. The direction of the current at low frequency is opposite to that at high frequency. One can change the direction of the current by suitably tailoring the frequency of the wall vibration.