Experimental percolation studies of random networks

A Feinerman; J Weddell

doi:10.1063/1.4989518

Experimental percolation studies of random networks

Rev Sci Instrum. 2017 Jun;88(6):065114. doi: 10.1063/1.4989518.

Authors

A Feinerman¹, J Weddell²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60607, USA.
² Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.

PMID: 28667993
DOI: 10.1063/1.4989518

Abstract

This report establishes an experimental method of studying electrically percolating networks at a higher resolution than previously implemented. This method measures the current across a conductive sheet as a function of time as elliptical pores are cut into the sheet. This is done utilizing a Universal Laser System X2-600 100 W CO₂ laser system with a 76 × 46 cm² field and 394 dpc (dots/cm) resolution. This laser can cut a random system of elliptical pores into a conductive sheet with a potential voltage applied across it and measures the current versus time. This allows for experimental verification of a percolation threshold as a function of the ellipse's aspect ratio (minor/major diameter). We show that as an ellipse's aspect ratio approaches zero, the percolation threshold approaches one. The benefit of this method is that it can experimentally measure the effect of removing small pores, as well as pores with complex geometries, such as an asterisk from a conductive sheet.