Foundations of laminar chaotic mixing and spectral theory of linear operators

This article addresses the potentiality and the range of application of the spectral theory of mixing as a simple and objective way to define in a rigorous way mixing performance and stirring efficiency. Attention is mainly oriented to the class of laminar flows which is the typical condition occurring in micromixers and flow microdevices. The application of the theory is highlighted by considering the cavity flow as a case study.