Pulsed laser-induced water surface elevation and its relationship to the Abraham momentum

We present a theoretical framework to address the challenge of modelling the liquid surface deformation under pulsed laser illumination for normal and oblique incidence, a key bottleneck in linking optical forces with fluid dynamics. This model opens avenues for the precision optofluidic control and laser-based microfluidic actuation. In addition, we evaluate the kinetic energy dissipation induced by the laser pulse. We perform numerical simulations in a realistic geometry and find excellent agreement between the simulation results and our theoretical predictions. We also trace out some connections with the well-known Abraham-Minkowski problem in electrodynamics by calculating explicitly the transfer of momentum to the fluid following these two alternatives. We find a physical difference between these quantities, although their measurement appears rather challenging.