Non-equilibrium sedimentation of colloids on the particle scale

We investigate sedimentation of model hard sphere-like colloidal dispersions confined in horizontal capillaries using laser scanning confocal microscopy, dynamical density functional theory, and Brownian dynamics computer simulations. For homogenized initial states we obtain quantitative agreement of the results from the respective approaches for the time evolution of the one-body density distribution and the osmotic pressure on the walls. We demonstrate that single particle information can be obtained experimentally in systems that were initialized further out-of-equilibrium such that complex lateral patterns form.Comment: to be published in Phys. Rev. Let

On-chip electrically controlled routing of photons from a single quantum dot

Electrical control of on-chip routing of photons emitted by a single InAs/GaAs self-assembled quantum dot (SAQD) is demonstrated in a photonic crystal cavity-waveguide system. The SAQD is located inside an H1 cavity, which is coupled to two photonic crystal waveguides. The SAQD emission wavelength is electrically tunable by the quantum-confined Stark effect. When the SAQD emission is brought into resonance with one of two H1 cavity modes, it is preferentially routed to the waveguide to which that mode is selectively coupled. This proof of concept provides the basis for scalable, low-power, high-speed operation of single-photon routers for use in integrated quantum photonic circuits

Colloidal brazil nut effect in sediments of binary charged suspensions

Equilibrium sedimentation density profiles of charged binary colloidal suspensions are calculated by computer simulations and density functional theory. For deionized samples, we predict a colloidal ``brazil nut'' effect: heavy colloidal particles sediment on top of the lighter ones provided that their mass per charge is smaller than that of the lighter ones. This effect is verifiable in settling experiments.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

The sediment of mixtures of charged colloids: segregation and inhomogeneous electric fields

We theoretically study sedimentation-diffusion equilibrium of dilute binary, ternary, and polydisperse mixtures of colloidal particles with different buoyant masses and/or charges. We focus on the low-salt regime, where the entropy of the screening ions drives spontaneous charge separation and the formation of an inhomogeneous macroscopic electric field. The resulting electric force lifts the colloids against gravity, yielding highly nonbarometric and even nonmonotonic colloidal density profiles. The most profound effect is the phenomenon of segregation into layers of colloids with equal mass-per-charge, including the possibility that heavy colloidal species float onto lighter ones

Dynamical density functional theory for dense atomic liquids

Starting from Newton's equations of motion, we derive a dynamical density functional theory (DDFT) applicable to atomic liquids. The theory has the feature that it requires as input the Helmholtz free energy functional from equilibrium density functional theory. This means that, given a reliable equilibrium free energy functional, the correct equilibrium fluid density profile is guaranteed. We show that when the isothermal compressibility is small, the DDFT generates the correct value for the speed of sound in a dense liquid. We also interpret the theory as a dynamical equation for a coarse grained fluid density and show that the theory can be used (making further approximations) to derive the standard mode coupling theory that is used to describe the glass transition. The present theory should provide a useful starting point for describing the dynamics of inhomogeneous atomic fluids.Comment: 14 pages, accepted for publication in J. Phys.: Condens. Matte

NOX AND VOC MEASUREMENTS AND HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENT IN AN INFORMAL SETTLEMENT IN DURBAN

A previous study by Muller et al. (2003) investigated NOx, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene levels in households in the densely settled informal settlement of Cato Crest located within the Durban Metropolitan area. AHealth Risk Assessment based on the United States EPA approach showed that the residents of Cato Crest experienced significant health risks as a result of exposure to these pollutants largely as a result of kerosene usage in their homes. Specifically, the study which was conducted in September 2000 in 14 households, showed that exposure to NOx over a 24-hour period indicated a potential health risk in all the households, that benzene poses a health risk in 50% of the households, whereas there is no health risk associated with exposure to toluene. A follow-up study was conducted in July 2006 targeting similar households and pollutants to investigate whether comparable results were found in a typical winter period, when air quality is generally expected to deteriorate

Extended sedimentation profiles in charged colloids: the gravitational length, entropy, and electrostatics

We have measured equilibrium sedimentation profiles in a colloidal model system with confocal microscopy. By tuning the interactions, we have determined the gravitational length in the limit of hard-sphere-like interactions, and using the same particles, tested a recent theory [R.van Roij, J. Phys. Cond. Mat. 15, S3569, (2003)], which predicts a significantly extended sedimentation profile in the case of charged colloids with long-ranged repulsions, due to a spontaneously formed macroscopic electric field. For the hard-sphere-like system we find that the gravitational length matches that expected. By tuning the buoyancy of the colloidal particles we have shown that a mean field hydrostatic equilibrium description even appears to hold in the case that the colloid volume fraction changes significantly on the length scale of the particle size. The extended sedimentation profiles of the colloids with long-ranged repulsions are well-described by theory. Surprisingly, the theory even seems to hold at concentrations where interactions between the colloids, which are not modeled explicitly, play a considerable role

Geometric frustration in small colloidal clusters

We study the structure of clusters in a model colloidal system with competing interactions using Brownian dynamics simulations. A short-ranged attraction drives clustering, while a weak, long-ranged repulsion is used to model electrostatic charging in experimental systems. The former is treated with a short-ranged Morse attractive interaction, the latter with a repulsive Yukawa interaction. We consider the yield of clusters of specific structure as a function of the strength of the interactions, for clusters with m=3,4,5,6,7,10 and 13 colloids. At sufficient strengths of the attractive interaction (around 10 kT), the average bond lifetime approaches the simulation timescale and the system becomes nonergodic. For small clusters m<=5 where geometric frustration is not relevant, despite nonergodicity, for sufficient strengths of the attractive interaction the yield of clusters which maximise the number of bonds approaches 100%. However for $m=7$ and higher, in the nonergodic regime we find a lower yield of these structures where we argue geometric frustration plays a significant role. $m=6$ is a special case, where two structures, of octahedral and C2v symmetry compete, with the latter being favoured by entropic contributions in the ergodic regime and by kinetic trapping in the nonergodic regime. We believe that our results should be valid as far as the one-component description of the interaction potential is valid. A system with competing electrostatic repulsions and van der Waals attractions may be such an example. However, in some cases, the one-component description of the interaction potential may not be appropriate.Comment: 21 pages, accepted for publication by J. Phys. Condens. Matte

Sedimentation of binary mixtures of like- and oppositely charged colloids: the primitive model or effective pair potentials?

We study sedimentation equilibrium of low-salt suspensions of binary mixtures of charged colloids, both by Monte Carlo simulations of an effective colloids-only system and by Poisson-Boltzmann theory of a colloid-ion mixture. We show that the theoretically predicted lifting and layering effect, which involves the entropy of the screening ions and a spontaneous macroscopic electric field [J. Zwanikken and R. van Roij, Europhys. Lett. {\bf 71}, 480 (2005)], can also be understood on the basis of an effective colloid-only system with pairwise screened-Coulomb interactions. We consider, by theory and by simulation, both repelling like-charged colloids and attracting oppositely charged colloids, and we find a re-entrant lifting and layering phenomenon when the charge ratio of the colloids varies from large positive through zero to large negative values