Dynamics of Self-Propelled Janus Particles in Viscoelastic Fluids

We experimentally investigate active motion of spherical Janus colloidal particles in a viscoelastic fluid. Self-propulsion is achieved by a local concentration gradient of a critical polymer mixture which is imposed by laser illumination. Even in the regime where the fluid's viscosity is independent of the deformation rate induced by the particle, we find a remarkable increase of up to 2 orders of magnitude of the rotational diffusion with increasing particle velocity, which can be phenomenologically described by an effective rotational diffusion coefficient dependent on the Weissenberg number. We show that this effect gives rise to a highly anisotropic response of microswimmers in viscoelastic media to external forces, depending on its orientation.