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Generation and characterization of ultrathin free-flowing liquid sheets

Author

Listed:
  • Jake D. Koralek

    (SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory)

  • Jongjin B. Kim

    (SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory)

  • Petr Brůža

    (Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences
    Dartmouth College)

  • Chandra B. Curry

    (SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
    University of Alberta)

  • Zhijiang Chen

    (SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory)

  • Hans A. Bechtel

    (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory)

  • Amy A. Cordones

    (SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory)

  • Philipp Sperling

    (SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
    European X-Ray Free-Electron Laser Facility GmbH)

  • Sven Toleikis

    (Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron)

  • Jan F. Kern

    (SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory)

  • Stefan P. Moeller

    (SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory)

  • Siegfried H. Glenzer

    (SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory)

  • Daniel P. DePonte

    (SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory)

Abstract

The physics and chemistry of liquid solutions play a central role in science, and our understanding of life on Earth. Unfortunately, key tools for interrogating aqueous systems, such as infrared and soft X-ray spectroscopy, cannot readily be applied because of strong absorption in water. Here we use gas-dynamic forces to generate free-flowing, sub-micron, liquid sheets which are two orders of magnitude thinner than anything previously reported. Optical, infrared, and X-ray spectroscopies are used to characterize the sheets, which are found to be tunable in thickness from over 1 μm down to less than 20 nm, which corresponds to fewer than 100 water molecules thick. At this thickness, aqueous sheets can readily transmit photons across the spectrum, leading to potentially transformative applications in infrared, X-ray, electron spectroscopies and beyond. The ultrathin sheets are stable for days in vacuum, and we demonstrate their use at free-electron laser and synchrotron light sources.

Suggested Citation

  • Jake D. Koralek & Jongjin B. Kim & Petr Brůža & Chandra B. Curry & Zhijiang Chen & Hans A. Bechtel & Amy A. Cordones & Philipp Sperling & Sven Toleikis & Jan F. Kern & Stefan P. Moeller & Siegfried H., 2018. "Generation and characterization of ultrathin free-flowing liquid sheets," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 9(1), pages 1-8, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:9:y:2018:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-018-03696-w
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-03696-w
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