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  • Letter
  • Open Access

High pressure suppresses the laser-induced nucleation of supersaturated aqueous potassium chloride solutions

Kelechi F. Ndukwe-Ajala, Lamia Tahsin, Bruce A. Garetz*, and Ryan L. Hartman†

  • *Contact author: bgaretz@nyu.edu
  • †Contact author: ryan.hartman@nyu.edu
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Phys. Rev. Research 7, L042027 – Published 29 October, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/kr3g-67gz

Abstract

We report the suppression of nucleation in the nonphotochemical laser-induced nucleation of supersaturated aqueous potassium chloride solutions when the system pressure is above ambient pressure. The crystal yield at 51.7 bar is reduced to 5% of its value at 1 bar, and the crystal number dependence on pressure fits well to a semiempirical model based on the impurity-heating mechanism and the adiabatic compression of an ideal gas nanobubble. Our results complement recent findings by Barber and Alexander [Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 27, 6288 (2025)] using high-speed imaging of bubbles preceding the observation of cesium chloride crystals. Together, these two studies provide compelling evidence for the impurity-heating mechanism.

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Phys. Rev. Research 7, L042027– Published 29 October, 2025
  • Received 28 February 2025
  • Revised 20 May 2025
  • Accepted 19 August 2025
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