Self-Sustaining Water Microdroplet Resonators Using 3D-Printed Microfluidics

Microdroplet resonators provide an excellent tool for optical studies of water, but water microdroplets are difficult to maintain outside a carefully controlled environment. We present a method for maintaining a water microdroplet resonator on a 3D-printed hydrophobic surface in an ambient environment. The droplet is maintained through a passive microfluidic system that supplies water to the droplet through a vertical channel at a rate equivalent to its evaporation. In this manner, we are able to create and passively maintain water microdroplet resonators with quality factors as high as 3×108.