Effect of Liquid Transparency on Laser-Induced Motion of Drops

Abstract

An experimental investigation of the role of liquid transparency in controlling laser-induced motion of liquid drops is carried out. The study was motivated by application to manipulation of liquid drops over a solid substrate. Droplets with diameters of 1–4 mm were propelled on a hydrophobic substrate using a pulsed-laser beam (532 nm, 10 Hz, 3–12 mJ/pulse) with a 0.9 mm diameter fired parallel to the substrate. The test liquid was distilled water whose transparency was varied by adding different concentrations of Rhodamine 6G dye. Motion of the drops was observed using a video camera. Measurements include direction of motion and the distance traveled before the drops come to rest. The present results show that the direction of the motion depends on the drop transparency; opaque drops moved away from the laser beam, whereas transparent drops moved at small angles toward the laser beam. The motion of both transparent and opaque drops was dominated by thermal Marangoni effect; the motion of opaque drops was due to direct heating by the laser beam, whereas in the case of transparent drops, the laser beam was focused near the rear face of the transparent drops to form a spark that pushed the drops in the opposite direction. Energies lower than 3 mJ were incapable of moving the drops, and energies higher than 12 mJ shattered the drops instead of moving them. A phenomenological model was developed for the drop motion to explain the physics behind the phenomenon.