A new method for precise optical measurements of the sub-micron height of levitation of droplet clusters

Droplet clusters levitating over the locally heated water surface are considered a very promising phe-nomenon of microfluidics for the potential use of the droplets as unique microreactors for microbio-logical experiments.A new optical method is suggested for precise measurements of the sub-micron levitation height of single droplets.The method is based on the analysis of variable colors of the inter-ference halo around the droplet.For the first time,it is possible to measure the extremely low downward velocity of droplets,which grow due to steam condensation.This velocity was found to be 5-8 nm/s.The height of the levitation of various droplets just before their coalescence with a layer of water was also determined.Such measurements might be used for the verification of sophisticated models for the droplet levitation to be developed for a very thin layer of humid air under the droplet when the Knudsen effect should be taken into account.