Tunable pheromone interactions among microswimmers.

ABSTRACT: Indirect interactions via shared memory deposited on the field ("field memory") play an essential role in collective motions. Some motile species, such as ants and bacteria, use attractive pheromones to complete many tasks. Mimicking these kinds of collective behavior at the laboratory scale, we present a pheromone-based autonomous agent system with tunable interactions. In this system, colloidal particles leave phase-change trails reminiscent of the process of pheromone deposition by individual ants, and the trails attract other particles and themselves. To implement this, we combine two physical phenomena: the phase change of a Ge₂Sb₂Te₅ (GST) substrate by self-propelled Janus particles (pheromone deposition) and the AC (alternating current) electroosmoti

SUBMITTER: Nakayama B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9992777 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature