Author: XIN Hongbao

Publisher: School of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering  

Date: May 23, 2024

In a groundbreaking discovery, Professor Xin Hongbao and Professor Li Baojun from the esteemed Institute of Nanophotonics at the School of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering unveiled the mesmerizing orbital behavior of particles at the mesoscale. Their collaborative research, prominently featured in the prestigious academic journal Nano Letters under the title Sports Particle Ordering, Sorting, and Assembly on Soap Films, sheds light on a remarkable phenomenon that reshapes our understanding of particle dynamics.

(Screenshot of the paper)

Lecturer Shi Yang, from the Institute of Nano photonics, serves as the primary author of the paper, while Professor Li Baojun, Xin Hongbao, and Professor Luke P. Lee from Harvard University are acknowledged as co-corresponding authors. The research team embarked on a journey of exploration that yielded profound insights. Through a meticulous blend of experimental observations, simulation calculations, and theoretical analysis, the team unraveled a captivating narrative of spontaneous particle motion on soap films characterized by a thickness gradient.

Marking a paradigm shift in particle dynamics, the team's observations unveiled a hitherto unseen phenomenon—particles traversing specific orbits on soap films without external energy intervention. This mesmerizing display of orbitalization, driven by the stringent interfacial tension exerted by the soap film on particles in unique wetting states, showcases a realm of spontaneous order and organization at the mesoscale.

Paper Link: [Access the full article here] 

(https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.4c01840)