Optical Coherence Tomography Velocimetry with Complex Fluids

Abstract

We present recent results obtained with an Optical Coherence Tomography Velocimetry technique. An optical interferometer measures the velocity of a sheared fluid at specific depths of the sample using the coherence length of the light source. The technique allows the dynamics of 3 pico liter volumes to be probed inside opaque complex fluids. In a study of opaque starch suspensions, classical bulk rheology experiments show non-linear shear thickening, whereas observations of the velocity profiles as a function of distance across the gap show Newtonian behavior. The ability of the technique to measure velocity fluctuations is also discussed for the case of polyacrylamide samples which were observed to display shear banding behavior. A relationship between the viscoelasticity of the sample and the size of the apparent fluctuations is observed.