A Novel Approach to Chemical Communications
Abstract
The ultimate goal of this project was to develop a device for encoding and sending modulated high frequency optical signals utilizing a novel combination of chemical oscillators, chemiluminescent reactions and microfluidic technology. Our research team consisted of scientists and engineers from Brandeis University, Spectral Sciences, Inc., the Air Force Research Laboratory, Hanscom AFB, and RainDance Technologies, Inc.. We have made significant progress toward this goal and have discovered several potentially significant new phenomena in the course of our investigations. In particular, we have been able to increase the frequency of the Belousov-Zhabotinsky chemical oscillator by three to four orders of magnitude and have constructed microfluidic circuits to produce one- and two -dimensional arrays of coupled oscillators, which give rise to a variety of patterns that can be used to build communications and computational devices. We have tested two novel approaches for encoding chemical signals, developed a programmable simulator to mimic the signals, and carried out field tests to analyze problems of distinguishing the signal from the background. Mathematical models have been developed and successfully employed to simulate the experimental phenomena. Nonetheless, there remains significant work to be done in order to produce an operable device.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 17, 2010
- Accession Number
- ADA546000
Entities
People
- Anatol M. Zhabotinsky
- Darren R. Link
- Frank O. Clark
- Irving R. Epstein
- Jordan B. Pollack
- Lawrence S. Bernstein
- Seth Fraden
- Steven Richtsmeier
Organizations
- Brandeis University