  Droplets are natural candidates for use as microfluidic reactors, if active
control of their formation and transport can be achieved. We show here that
localized heating from a laser can block the motion of a water-oil interface,
acting as a microfluidic valve for two-phase flows. A theoretical model is
developed to explain the forces acting on a drop due to thermocapillary flow,
predicting a scaling law which favors miniaturization. Finally, we show how the
laser forcing can be applied to sorting drops, thus demonstrating how it may be
integrated in complex droplet microfluidic systems.
