Abstract
We demonstrate the continuous translational invariance of the energy of a capillary surface in contact with reconfigurable solid boundaries. We present a theoretical approach to find the energy-invariant equilibria of spherical capillary surfaces in contact with solid boundaries of arbitrary shape and examine the implications of dynamic frictional forces upon of a reconfiguration of the boundaries. Experimentally, we realise our ideas by manipulating the position of a droplet in a wedge geometry using lubricant-impregnated solid surfaces, which eliminate the contact-angle hysteresis and provide a test bed for quantifying dissipative losses out of equilibrium. Our experiments show that dissipative energy losses for an otherwise energy-invariant reconfiguration are relatively small, provided that the actuation timescale is longer than the typical relaxation timescale of the capillary surface. We discuss the wider applicability of our ideas as a pathway for liquid manipulation at no potential energy cost in low-pinning, low-friction situations.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 218003 |
Number of pages | 1 |
Journal | Physical Review Letters |
Volume | 118 |
Issue number | 21 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 26 May 2017 |
Keywords
- applications of soft matter
- capillarity
- gas-liquid interfaces
- Metamaterials
- SYMMETRIES
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Gary Wells
- School of Engineering - Senior Lecturer in Surfaces and Wetting
Person: Academic: Research Active