Laser-sustained liquid bridges

The stabilization of free-standing liquid bridges encounters a fundamental limitation associated to the Rayleigh-Plateau instability. Classically in weightless conditions, a liquid column breaks when its length exceeds its circumference. We overcome this fundamental limitation using a new technique, based on the optical-radiation pressure of a continuous laser wave, to form and stabilize pure dielectric bridges far beyond the instability onset. Since control over aspect ratio and orientation are simply realized by adjusting the waist and the direction of the exciting laser, these laser-sustained liquid columns also behave as reconfigurable optical waveguides and provide an appealing example of self-adapted optical microsystem based on microfluidics.