Revealing the reason behind jet formation at the tip of laser optical fiber

When an optical fiber is immersed in liquid, a high-temperature, high-speed jet is discharged. Researchers expect this to be applied to medical treatment in the future. Now, a research team from Russia and Japan has explored this phenomenon further and revealed the reasons behind the jet formation.
Lasers using a thin optical fiber and combined with an endoscope and catheter can be easily transported into deep areas of the body or inside blood vessels. Traditionally, affected areas or lesions are removed by generating heat inside the tissue through laser absorption—a process known as the photothermal effect.
Yet, hydrodynamical phenomena, such as microbubble formation or high-speed jet generation from the optical fiber, show immense medical promise.
The process of jet formation happens when the laser is irradiated to the water, causing