Superparamagnetic microbead transport induced by a magnetic field on large-area magnetic antidot arrays

摘要

A method is presented for directed transport of superparamagnetic microbeads (SPBs) on magnetic antidot patterned substrates by applying a rotating elliptical magnetic field. We find a critical frequency for transport, beyond which the bead dynamics transitions from stepwise locomotion to local oscillation. We also find that the out-of-plane (H_(OOP)) and in-plane (H_(IP)) field magnitudes play crucial roles in triggering bead motion. Namely, we find threshold values in H_(OOP) and H_(IP) that depend on bead size, which can be used to independently and remotely address specific bead populations in a multi-bead mixture. These behaviors are explained in terms of the dynamic potential energy lansdscapes computed from micromagnetic simulations of the substrate magnetization configuration. Finally, we show that large-area magnetic patterns suitable for particle transport and sorting can be fabricated through a self-assembly lithography technique, which provides a simple, cost-effective means to integrate magnetic actuation into microfluidic systems.