A hybrid optofluidic technique was developed to achieve fluid transport with controllable modes and tunable strength. The switch of the optofluidic mode from buoyancy to thermocapillary convection is employed for three-dimensional manipulation. The strong confinement and torque in the convection are capable of trapping and rotating/spinning particles. The buoyancy convection provides a trapping circle to achieve collective trapping and vertical rotation/spin, while the thermocapillary convection offers a trapping lattice to achieve distributed trapping and horizontal rotation/spin. Further investigations in optofluidic arrangement, mixing, and synthesis will broaden its potential applications in the fields of lab-on-a-chip.
- Jiapeng Zheng
- Xiaobo Xing
- Sailing He
