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  • Open Access

Active particle transport in pulsating three-dimensional geometries

Rahul Sinha*, Ankit Gupta†, and P. S. Burada‡

  • *Contact author: rahulsinha@kgpian.iitkgp.ac.in
  • †Contact author: ankitgupta@kgpian.iitkgp.ac.in
  • ‡Contact author: psburada@phy.iitkgp.ac.in
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Phys. Rev. Research 8, 023069 – Published 23 April, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/7w2n-1nkp

Abstract

We study the transport of active Brownian particles (ABPs) in three-dimensional (3D) spatially periodic oscillatory geometries. We establish a generalized Fick-Jacobs approach that reduces a 3D system to an effective one-dimensional (1D) system, assuming that particles quickly reach a steady state in the transverse directions of the geometry. The resulting 1D framework connects passive, static, and pulsating limits and provides robust predictions. The transport characteristics of ABPs are computed semianalytically and corroborated by numerical simulations. At the optimal frequency of the geometry oscillation, particles exhibit higher average velocity 〈v〉 and effective diffusion coefficient Deff, resembling the phenomena of stochastic resonance. This effect is further enhanced by the self-propelled velocity of ABPs and the amplitude of geometry oscillations. These findings have significant implications for the development of micro- and nanofluidic devices with enhanced control over particle transport and precise manipulation of small-scale biomedical devices.

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Phys. Rev. Research 8, 023069– Published 23 April, 2026
  • Received 16 August 2025
  • Accepted 27 March 2026
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Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI.

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