Optimizing the Performance of the Entropic Splitter for Particle Separation

TL;DR

This paper investigates how to optimize the entropic splitter device for particle separation by analyzing the effects of geometry and forcing parameters, achieving high purity and efficiency in separating particles by size.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis and numerical optimization of the entropic splitter, enhancing particle separation performance based on geometry and control variables.

Findings

High separation purity achieved through optimization

Performance depends on channel geometry and forcing frequency

Numerical simulations demonstrate fast, efficient separation

Abstract

Recently, it has been shown that entropy can be used to sort Brownian particles according to their size. In particular, a combination of a static and a time-dependent force applied on differently sized particles which are confined in an asymmetric periodic structure can be used to separate them efficiently, by forcing them to move in opposite directions. In this paper, we investigate the optimization of the performance of the 'entropic splitter'. Specifically, the splitting mechanism and how it depends on the geometry of the channel, and the frequency and strength of the periodic forcing is analyzed. Using numerical simulations, we demonstrate that a very efficient and fast separation with a practically 100% purity can be achieved by a proper optimization of the control variables. The results of this work could be useful for a more efficient separation of dispersed phases such as DNA fragments or colloids dependent on their size.