Microrheology of a swollen lyotropic lamellar phase

Dynamics of nano-sized colloidal particles in a swollen lyotropic lamellar phase of
a nonionic surfactant has been studied by three methods of microrheology. By electrophoretic
microrheology (EPM), we find two relaxation processes respectively
relating to the fluctuation of membranes and topological defects in lamellar
structure. By direct tracking of particles under a microscope and manipulating
them with an optical tweezers, we obtained detailed information on diffusion of
a particle at low frequencies. We observed the jump-trap motion of a particle
and the non-Newtonian rheological behavior at low frequencies.