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Fast Solidification of a Gravity-Stretched Liquid Jet

JS. Smink1,*, CW. Visser1, and H. Lhuissier2,†

  • *Contact author: j.s.smink@utwente.nl
  • †Contact author: henri.lhuissier@univ-amu.fr
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Phys. Rev. Lett. 137, 144004 – Published 2 October, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/yh2j-b3wq

Abstract

Spinning is widely used in nature and industry to form thin solid fibers from a liquid. While the fiber radius is readily determined when draw speed is controlled, many situations involve a draw force, making fiber radius difficult to predict. Here, we take advantage of a gravity-stretched jet configuration with tunable light-induced solidification, to elucidate spinning dynamics for a sharply localized liquid-to-solid transition. We show and explain how light intensity and solidification kinetics control the solidification locus, which opens routes for characterizing fast solidification kinetics. We also determine how the fiber radius, the transient regime following light switch-on and jet stability are set by gravity, inertia, and capillarity. These results offer predictive control on the spun solid (fiber versus beads), including for intermittent solidification.

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Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Focus

Spinning Liquid into Solid

Published 2 October, 2026

A new technique for generating solid fibers from a liquid jet is easier to model—and thus easier to control—than past methods.

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Phys. Rev. Lett. 137, 144004– Published 2 October, 2026
  • Received 5 February 2026
  • Accepted 11 August 2026
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Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI.

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