二元粒子混合物的湧現現象及其在電子學與機器人領域的應用

Abstract

二元混合物為研究兩種不同材料之間相互作用產生的新興現象提供了一個有前景的方法。透過控製成分、粒徑和分佈等參數，這些混合物可以表現出增強的性能，如導電性、介電行為和磁響應，這對於電子、材料科學、機器人和能源儲存中的各種應用至關重要。二元混合物的獨特優勢在於它們能夠定制電學和磁學特性，這是單獨的成分無法實現的。 我們研究了由導電金屬顆粒和非導電聚合物（例如蠟）組成的組件的局部電導率，可用於相變記憶體和壓力感測器。此外，透過雷射寫入在非導電組件中創建選擇性導電路徑，為柔性電子電路開闢了新途徑。 此外，我們也探討如何改變二元顆粒組件的形態來優化其磁性，並應用於磁性微致動器和微型機器人。這些設備有可能徹底改變遠端操作和基於群體的協作。由於在產生和調控磁場方面存在的根本挑戰，控制單一磁性系統的傳統方法無法縮小到微觀尺度。 我們展示了一種新穎的致動機制，使磁性微致動器具有前所未有的易於製造和尺寸縮放。透過對二元粒子混合物進行機械干擾，可以誘發磁有序和明顯的各向異性。結合模擬和實驗研究證實了來自鄰近粒子的阻止力作為這種行為的起源的重要性。磁特性對組裝形態的敏感度可用於生產利用顆粒尺寸或壓力的微小變化的新型致動器。我們演示了將粒子膨脹轉換為磁扭矩鎖定，從而實現微型機器人中的主動磁控制，以用於未來的遠端操作應用。

Binary mixtures offer a promising approach for studying emergent phenomena resulting from the interplay between two distinct materials. By controlling parameters such as composition, particle size, and distribution, these mixtures can exhibit enhanced properties such as electrical conductivity, dielectric behavior, and magnetic response, which are essential for various applications in electronics, materials science, robotics, and energy storage. The unique advantage of binary mixtures lies in their ability to tailor electrical and magnetic properties that cannot be achieved by individual components alone. We investigated electrical localized conductivity in assemblies composed of conductive metal particles and non-conductive polymers (e.g., wax), which can be used for phase change memory and pressure sensors. Further, selective conductive paths were created in non-conductive assemblies by laser writing, opening new routes for flexible electronic circuits. Moreover, we explore how changing the morphology of binary particle assemblies can optimize their magnetic properties, with applications in magnetic micro-actuators and microrobots. These devices have the potential to revolutionize remote manipulation and swarm-based collaboration. Conventional approaches to controlling individual magnetic systems cannot be shrunk to the microscale due to fundamental challenges in the generation and modification of magnetic fields. We demonstrate a novel actuation mechanism that imparts magnetic micro-actuators with unprecedented ease of fabrication and dimensional scaling. Through mechanical jamming in binary particle mixtures, magnetic ordering and pronounced anisotropy could be induced. Combined simulation and experimental investigation confirm the importance of arresting forces from neighboring particles as the origin of this behavior. This sensitivity of magnetic properties on assembly morphology can be exploited to produce novel actuators that utilize minute changes in particle size or pressure. We demonstrate the transduction of particle swelling into magnetic torque locking that enables active magnetic control in microrobots for future remote operating applications.