Ultrathin liquid films under alternating intermolecular potential fields and capillary force

Abstract

A unique experimental system is devised that reveals the interplay among capillary force and alternating intermolecular forces. As a consequence of the interplay, untrathin (<10 nm) liquid films, which invariably experience dewetting, can be made stable, leading to a smooth and dropless minimum-potential surface. Theory and experiment show that the film thickness is <1 nm when the film recedes in spite of the capillarity and it is <3 nm when it rises into a cavity.