Dynamic Behavior of Liquid Microlenses Actuated Using Dielectric Force

This paper presents a study of the dynamic responses of dielectric liquid microlenses via simulation and experiment. The dielectric force applied to the liquid microlenses was generated on the interface of two nonconductive isodensity liquids under ac biases. The dynamic responses of liquid microlenses of 0.5-10 mm in diameter were experimentally characterized; responses such as the dynamic contact angle and the response time with respect to viscosity, voltage, ac frequency, and droplet size were measured. The experimental results indicate that the viscosity and the droplet size are proportional to the response time. The applied ac frequency in the range of 1-50 kHz was inversely proportional to the response time. The contact angles in equilibrium were found to be inversely proportional to the ac frequency and the droplet size but nearly invariant to the viscosity.