Microparticle manipulation with magnetic and electric fields

Clever manipulation of microparticles can lead to many non-trivial physical responses that have potential use in applications, from engineered material properties to microfluidics. In this seminar, we will see examples of microparticles in different environments. In liquid media, we will explore aspects of self-organization of groups of microparticles (vortices, flocking). We will comment on their potential use as small-scale pumps or as soft robots. Similarly, we will evaluate magnetic particles embedded in a polymer, i.e. magnetoactive elastomers.