Patterning of dielectric nanoparticles using dielectrophoretic forces generated by ferroelectric polydomain films
Abstract
A theoretical study of a dielectrophoretic force, i.e., the force acting on an electrically neutral particle in the inhomogeneous electric field, which is produced by a ferroelectric domain pattern, is presented. It has been shown by several researchers that artificially prepared domain patterns with given geometry in ferroelectric single crystals represent an easy and flexible method for patterning dielectric nanoobjects using dielectrophoretic forces.The analytical formula for the spatial distribution of the stray field in the ionic liquid above the topsurface of the film is calculated including the effect of free charge screening.
Magnitude of forces acting from domain patterns on either charged or electric neutral particles are compared. The minimal radius of spherical particles at which dielectrophoretic forces are stronger then forces responding on Brownian motion is estimated.