Direct measurement of the capillary condensation time of a water nanobridge.

Water menisci wet all sorts of cavities, produce among the most intense forces at the nanoscale and play a role in many physical and chemical processes. The physical properties of these menisci are therefore relevant to understand a multitude of phenomena at the nanoscale where these are involved. Here, using a force feedback microscope, we directly measured the capillary condensation time of a water meniscus, by approaching two surfaces at different speeds and monitoring the relative position of the surfaces at the instant the meniscus is formed.