Bistability in droplet traffic at asymmetric microfluidic junctions

Abstract

We present the first experimental demonstration of confined microfluidic droplets acting as discrete negative resistors, wherein the effective hydrodynamic resistance to flow in a microchannel is reduced by the presence of a droplet. The implications of this hitherto unexplored regime in the traffic of droplets in microfluidic networks are highlighted by demonstrating bistable filtering into either arm of symmetric and asymmetric microfluidic loops, and programming oscillatory droplet routing therein. © 2013 AIP Publishing LLC.