11/13/2026
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A paper from the research group of mechanical science and engineering associate professor Jie Feng has been selected for the 2026 Applied Physics Letters Rising Stars Collection, which recognizes notable research by emerging investigators. Co-authors include SungGyu Chun, a former PhD student in Feng's lab who is now a staff engineer at Samsung Display, and Shirui Wang, a former master's student who is currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Southern California.
The paper, “Thin-film deposition by a confined bubble moving in viscoelastic Boger fluids,” is one of 35 selected for this year’s collection, representing just under 1% of the journal’s annual volume.
The study investigates how fluid elasticity influences the deposition of thin liquid films as an elongated bubble moves through a confined channel. Through systematic experiments using viscoelastic fluids with constant shear viscosity, the researchers demonstrated that stronger fluid elasticity can significantly increase the deposited film thickness compared with the case of Newtonian fluids.
They further developed a scaling relationship that successfully captures the experimental observations by accounting for the interplay between viscous, capillary, and elastic effects. These findings advance the fundamental understanding of confined multiphase flows and provide engineering insights relevant to precision coating, polymer processing, and advanced manufacturing.
Now in its fourth year, the Rising Stars Collection highlights work led by principal investigators within 10 years of receiving their doctoral degrees. A selection committee drawn from the journal’s Editorial Advisory Board reviewed candidates and chose the featured papers.
The paper will appear in the Rising Stars virtual collection. AIP Publishing will also celebrate the collection’s honorees alongside its early-career award recipients at the 2026 Fall Materials Research Society (MRS) Meeting, scheduled for November 29-December 4 in Boston.
The research was supported in part by the National Science Foundation under Grant Nos. CBET-2323045 and CBET-2426809.