Complex Magnetocapillary Microswimmers

When particles are suspended at air-water interfaces in the presence of a vertical magnetic field, dipole-dipole repulsion competes with capillary attraction. Magnetocapillary self-assemblies, composed of N soft-ferromagnetic beads, have been studied as a way to produce controllable micro swimmers at low Reynolds numbers. We hereby investigate the different dynamical behaviors obtained for various self-assemblies. The dynamic interaction of a pair of particles (N = 2) generates a rich behavior at the origin of a non-reciprocal motion, being the major physical ingredient for low Reynolds locomotion. By adding particles to this elementary system up to N = 8, we create new symmetries relevant to generate translational and rotational motions. We propose a model for describing the motion driven by an external field, being the basis for developing elaborated collective behaviors.