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Transmission of torque at the nanoscale

Nature Physics volume 12, pages 98–103 (2016)Cite this article

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Abstract

In macroscopic mechanical devices, torque is transmitted through gearwheels and clutches. In the construction of devices at the nanoscale, torque and its transmission through soft materials will be a key component. However, this regime is dominated by thermal fluctuations leading to dissipation. Here we demonstrate the principle of torque transmission for a disc-like colloidal assembly exhibiting clutch-like behaviour, driven by 27 particles in optical traps. These are translated on a circular path to form a rotating boundary that transmits torque to additional particles confined to the interior. We investigate this transmission and find that it is determined by solid-like or fluid-like behaviour of the device and a stick–slip mechanism reminiscent of macroscopic gearwheels slipping. The transmission behaviour is predominantly governed by the rotation rate of the boundary and the density of the confined system. We determine the efficiency of our device and thus optimize conditions to maximize power output.

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Figure 1: The experimental system.
Figure 2: Controlling rotational behaviour with N and Pe.
Figure 3: Disengaging transmission in situ by altering density in a single simulation with N = 48.
Figure 4: Measuring efficiency in the loaded device.
Figure 5: Structural fluctuations.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge J. Eggers, M. Heinen and R. Jack for helpful discussions. C.P.R. and I.W. acknowledge the Royal Society and European Research Council (ERC Consolidator Grant NANOPRS, project number 617266). Additionally, I.W. was supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). The work of E.C.O. and H.L. was supported by the ERC Advanced Grant INTERCOCOS (project number 267499). E.C.O. was also supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG) within the Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Program (project number OG 98/1-1).

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Author notes

  1. Ian Williams

    Present address: Present address: Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA.,

Authors and Affiliations

  1. H. H. Wills Physics Laboratory, Tyndall Avenue Bristol BS8 1TL, UK,

    Ian Williams & C. Patrick Royall

  2. School of Chemistry, Cantock’s Close, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK

    Ian Williams, Paul Bartlett & C. Patrick Royall

  3. Centre for Nanoscience and Quantum Information, Tyndall Avenue Bristol BS8 1FD, UK,

    Ian Williams & C. Patrick Royall

  4. Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA

    Erdal C. Oğuz

  5. Institut für Theoretische Physik II, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany

    Erdal C. Oğuz & Hartmut Löwen

  6. Institut für Physik, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Staudingerweg 7-9, D-55128 Mainz, Germany

    Thomas Speck

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Contributions

I.W. and C.P.R. conceived the experiments. I.W. built the experimental apparatus and performed the experiments. E.C.O., C.P.R. and H.L. conceived the simulations. E.C.O. carried out the simulations. T.S. performed the theoretical efficiency analysis. All authors contributed to the data analysis and writing of the manuscript.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Hartmut Löwen or C. Patrick Royall.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Williams, I., Oğuz, E., Speck, T. et al. Transmission of torque at the nanoscale. Nature Phys 12, 98–103 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/nphys3490

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