title: Laser turns silicon superwicking.
abstract: Using high-intensity femtosecond laser pulses, we create a novel surface pattern that transforms regular silicon to superwicking. Due to the created surface structure, water sprints vertically uphill in a gravity defying way. Our study of the liquid motion shows that the fast self-propelling motion of water is due to a supercapillary effect from the surface structures we created. The wicking dynamics in the produced surface structure is found to follow the classical square root of time dependence.
authors.affiliation: The Institute of Optics, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627, USA.
authors.forename: A Y
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Vorobyev
authors.forename: Chunlei
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Guo
mesh_terms: D001703:Biophysics / Q000379:methods; D007834:Lasers; D008422:Materials Testing; D044085:Microfluidics / Q000379:methods; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning / Q000379:methods; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods; D010825:Physics / Q000379:methods; D012666:Semiconductors; D012825:Silicon / Q000737:chemistry; D013499:Surface Properties; D013997:Time Factors; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D014867:Water; D012825:Silicon