Jet formation in the laser forward transfer of liquids

The dynamics of the laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) of an aqueous solution is investigated through time-resolved imaging. The experiment is carried out at conditions under which droplets are deposited on a receptor substrate. The obtained images reveal that after an initial balloon-like stage, a uniform jet with a very long length and high aspect ratio is formed, which advances at constant speed until it finally becomes unstable and breaks into several droplets. This dynamics demonstrates that the deposition process of well-defined droplets through LIFT results from the contact of the liquid jet with the receptor substrate, and not from a flying droplet.