Acoustically levitated lock and key grains

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel acoustic levitation method to create shape-specific bonds between millimeter-scale particles, enabling substrate-free assembly and programmable structure formation.

Contribution

It demonstrates a new technique for shape-dependent particle bonding using acoustic levitation, with tunable binding properties and potential for complex structure assembly.

Findings

Shape-dependent attractive forces enable selective bonding.

Binding probability and lifetime are independently controllable.

Particles can be designed to assemble into complex structures.

Abstract

We present a scheme for generating shape-dependent, specific bonds between millimeter scale particles, using acoustic levitation. We levitate particles in an ultrasonic standing wave, allowing for substrate-free assembly. Secondary scattering generates shape-dependent attractive forces between particles, while driving the acoustic trap above its resonance frequency produces active fluctuations that mimic an effective temperature. We 3D print planar particles, and show that the local curvature of their binding sites controls the selectivity for attaching a matching particle. We find that the bound-state probability and bound-state lifetime can be independently tuned via the binding site depth and height respectively. Finally, we show that these principles can be used to design particles that assemble into complex structures.