Nonmechanical fluid pumping principle has been developed utilizing the interactions of both the director (n) over cap and velocity v fields and temperature T redistribution across a two-dimensional homogeneouslyaligned nematic (HAN) microfluidic channel under the influence both of a heat flux q and the surface electric field E-0, originating from the surface charge density sigma. The heat flux q is caused by the laser beam pulse focused on the channel's boundary, whereas the normally directed electric field is due to electric double layers, that is naturally created within the liquid crystal near a charged surface. Calculations, based upon the nonlinear extension of the classical Ericksen-Leslie theory, with accounting the entropy balance equation, show that due to the coupling between the del T and del(n) over cap, in the HAN microfluidic channel the vortical flow v may be excited. The direction and magnitude of v is influenced by q and E-0, as well as by the thickness of the HAN microfluidic channel.
展开▼