Applied Physics Letters· 2026Q1
Microfluidic Brillouin platform for frequency-resolved mechanics of complex fluids
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- Q1SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
A new microfluidic platform integrates pressure-flow rheology with depth-resolved Brillouin spectroscopy to measure the mechanical properties of complex fluids across a wide frequency range under flow.
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Key points
- Integrated microfluidic platform combines pressure-flow rheology and Brillouin spectroscopy.
- Measures apparent viscosity and GHz-frequency longitudinal mechanics simultaneously under steady flow.
- Demonstrated decoupling between steady-shear and GHz-frequency acoustic responses in methylcellulose solutions.
- Brillouin response was primarily influenced by polymer concentration, not flow rate.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
We introduce an integrated microfluidic platform that combines pressure-flow rheology with depth-resolved Brillouin microspectroscopy to investigate complex fluids in extensive frequency ranges. Apparent viscosity is measured via calibrated pressure-flow in a rectangular polydimethylsiloxane microchannel, while GHz-frequency Brillouin spectroscopy probes longitudinal mechanics under identical steady-flow conditions. Using semi-dilute methylcellulose solutions in a cell-culture medium as a model, we reveal mild shear-thinning behavior, whereas the Brillouin frequency shift and linewidth values remain constant throughout the flow rate range, mainly influenced by polymer concentration. This confirms the decoupling between steady-shear and GHz-frequency acoustic responses observed previously. The platform offers a compact, calibrated approach for frequency-resolved mechanical analysis of flowing soft materials and perfused media.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Applied Physics Letters, 2026 · DOI ↗
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Fluid Flow and Transfer ProcessesChemical Engineering