Fluctuation assisted spreading of a fluid filled elastic blister

In this theoretical and numerical study, we show how spatially extended fluctuations can influence and dominate the dynamics of a fluid filled elastic blister as is deforms onto a pre-wetted solid substrate. To describe the blister dynamics, we develop a stochastic elastohydrodynamic framework that couples the viscous flow, the elastic bending of the interface and the noise from the environment. We deploy a scaling analysis to find the elastohydrodynamic spreading law $\hat R\sim {\hat t}^{1/11}$ a direct analogue to the capillary spreading of drops, while the inclusion of noise in our model highlights that the dynamics speed-up significantly $\hat R\sim {\hat t}^{1/6}$ as local changes in curvature enhance the peeling of the elastic interface from the substrate. Moreover, our analysis identifies a distinct criterion for the transition between the deterministic and stochastic spreading regime, which is further illustrated by numerical simulations

Supporting Information: Short and long time drop dynamics on lubricated substrates

Supporting Information: Short and long time drop dynamics on lubricated substrate

Droplet settling on solids coated with a soft layer

Gravitational settling of a droplet in air onto a soft substrate is a ubiquitous event relevant to many natural processes and engineering applications. We study this phenomenon by developing a three-phase lubrication model of droplet settling onto a solid substrate coated by a thin soft layer represented by a viscous film, an elastic compressible layer and an elastic sheet supported by a viscous film. By combining scaling analysis, analytical methods, and numerical simulations we elucidate how the resulting droplet dynamics is affected by the nature of the soft layer. We show that these soft layers can significantly affect the droplet shape during gravitational settling. When there is a linear response of the deformations of the soft layer, the air layer takes longer to drain as compared to the case of a droplet settling onto a rigid substrate. Our results provide new insight into the coupled interactions between droplets and solids coated by a thin film of a soft material.Comment: 26 pages, 13 figures, 1 tabl

Screening of the quantum dot F\"orster coupling at small distances

We study the near-field energy transfer rates between two finite size quantum dot disks, generalizing the result of F\"orster coupling between two point dipoles. In particular, we derive analytical results for the envelope of the electronic wavefunction for model potentials at the boundaries of quantum dot disks and demonstrate how the F\"orster interaction is screened as the size of the dots becomes comparable to the dot-dot separation.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figure

Universal Self-Similar Attractor in the Bending-Driven Leveling of Thin Viscous Films

We study theoretically and numerically the bending-driven leveling of thin viscous films within the lubrication approximation. We derive the Green's function of the linearized thin-film equation and further show that it represents a universal self-similar attractor at long times. As such, the rescaled perturbation of the film profile converges in time towards the rescaled Green's function, for any summable initial perturbation profile. In addition, for stepped axisymmetric initial conditions, we demonstrate the existence of another, short-term and one-dimensional-like self-similar regime. Besides, we characterize the convergence time towards the long-term universal attractor in terms of the relevant physical and geometrical parameters, and provide the local hydrodynamic fields and global elastic energy in the universal regime as functions of time. Finally, we extend our analysis to the non-linear thin-film equation through numerical simulations

Directional spreading of a viscous droplet on a conical fibre

If a droplet is placed on a substrate with a conical shape it spontaneously starts to spread in the direction of a growing fibre radius. We describe this capillary spreading dynamics by developing a lubrication approximation on a cone and by the perturbation method of matched asymptotic expansions. Our results show that the droplet appears to adopt a quasi-static shape and the predictions of the droplet shape and spreading velocity from the two mathematical models are in excellent agreement for a wide range of slip lengths, cone angles and equilibrium contact angles. At the contact line regions, a large pressure gradient is generated by the mismatch between the equilibrium contact angle and the apparent contact angle that maintains the viscous flow. It is the conical shape of the substrate that breaks the front/rear droplet symmetry in terms of the apparent contact angle, which is larger at the thicker part of the cone than that at its thinner part. Consequently, the droplet is predicted to move from the cone tip to its base, consistent with experimental observations

Universality in dynamic wetting dominated by contact line friction

We report experiments on the rapid contact line motion present in the early stages of capillary driven spreading of drops on dry solid substrates. The spreading data fails to follow a conventional viscous or inertial scaling. By integrating experiments and simulations, we quantify a contact line friction ($\mu_f$), which is seen to limit the speed of the rapid dynamic wetting. A scaling based on this contact line friction is shown to yield a universal curve for the evolution of the contact line radius as a function of time, for a range of fluid viscosities, drop sizes and surface wettabilities

Static wetting of a barrel-shaped droplet on a soft-layer-coated fiber

A droplet can deform a soft substrate due to capillary forces when they are in contact. We study the static deformation of a soft solid layer coated on a rigid cylindrical fiber when an axisymmetric barrel-shaped droplet is embracing it. We find that the elastic deformation increases with decreasing rigid fiber radius. Significant disparities of deformation between the solid-liquid side and the solid-gas side are found when their solid surface tensions are different. When the coated layer is soft enough and the rigid fiber radius is less than the thickness of the coated layer, pronounced displacement oscillations are observed. Such slow decay of deformation with distances from the contact line position suggests a possible long-range interaction between droplets on a soft-layer-coated fiber.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figure