Validity of Fluctuation Theorem on Self-Propelling Particles

R. Suzuki, H. R. Jiang, M. Sano

Published 2011-04-29Version 1

The experimental application of fluctuation theorem (FT) on nanometer to submicrometer sized systems has received thorough attention in the past several years. Nonetheless, the employment of FT on self-propelling objects has seldom been performed due to experimental difficulties. In this paper, we applied FT on a doublet that is comprised of asymmetrically coated self-propelling colloidal particles (Janus particles), which experiences a continuous rotation by applying AC electric field. We found that FT is valid for rotating self-propelling colloids by evaluating the estimated rotary torque to coincide with another form of torque estimation, which considers the rotation speed of the doublet and a simple Stokes equation.