We consider a breakup of bi-metal filaments deposited on a solid substrate. These filaments are exposed to laser irradiation and, while in the liquid phase, evolve by a process resembling breakup of a liquid jet governed by the Rayleigh-Plateau instability.
The Marangoni effect, resulting from a different surface tension of the two metals from which the filament is built, may lead to the inversion of the breakup process, producing droplets at the locations where according to the Rayleigh-Plateau theory dry spots would be expected. These results suggest the possibility of using Marangoni effect for the purpose of self- and directed-assembly on the nanoscale.
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