Interacting Brownian particles exhibiting enhanced rectification in an asymmetric channel

TL;DR

This study explores how asymmetric channels and external forces influence the directed movement of interacting Brownian particles, revealing ways to control and optimize particle rectification for applications in microfluidics and particle sorting.

Contribution

It introduces a model combining asymmetric channel geometry, external periodic driving, and short-range interactions to analyze and control particle rectification.

Findings

Rectification can be reversed by tuning driving frequency, amplitude, and channel shape.

Short-range lubrication interactions significantly enhance rectification.

A critical frequency determines whether rectification increases positively or negatively with interaction strength.

Abstract

Rectification of interacting Brownian particles is investigated in a two-dimensional asymmetric channel in the presence of an external periodic driving force. The periodic driving force can break the thermodynamic equilibrium and induces rectification of particles (or finite average velocity). The spatial variation in the shape of the channel leads to entropic barriers, which indeed control the rectification of particles. We find that by simply tunning the driving frequency, driving amplitude, and shape of the asymmetric channel, the average velocity can be reversed. Moreover, a short range interaction force between the particles further enhances the rectification of particles greatly. This interaction force is modeled as the lubrication interaction. Interestingly, it is observed that there exists a characteristic critical frequency $\Omega_c$ below which the rectification of particles greatly enhances in the positive direction with increasing the interaction strength; whereas, for the frequency above this critical value, it greatly enhances in the negative direction with increasing the interaction strength. Further, there exists an optimal value of the asymmetric parameter of the channel for which the rectification of interacting particles is maximum. These findings are useful in sorting out the particles and understanding the diffusive behavior of small particles or molecules in microfluidic channels, membrane pores, etc.