B2: Controlling dynamic structures in sheared colloidal films

Principal investigator:

Prof. Dr. Sabine Klapp

Project summary:

This project aims at analyzing and controlling dynamic patterns in confined suspensions of magnetic nanoparticles driven out of equilibrium by planar shear. The dipolar colloidal interactions generate diverse film structures already in equilibrium. One focal point is to explore the resulting non-equilibrium behavior, including a) structural instabilities such as shear banding and b) phase  separation under shear. Further, we will develop feedback control strategies to stabilize specific patterns, the vision being a deliberate design of soft magnetic films with tunable properties. We will employ computer simulations and dynamic density functional theory.