Generation and characterization of ultrathin free-flowing liquid sheets

• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-03696-w
• Publication Date: 2018-04-11T14:07:59Z
• Authors: 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. Glenzer; Daniel P. DePonte
• Keywords: Free-electron laser; Characterization

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