Abstract

Microemulsions are thermodynamically stable mixtures of oil, water, and a surfactant (soap) and often a cosurfactant (alcohol). Due to their amphiphilic properties, surfactant molecules form in these solutions aggregates which lead to a large variety of shapes and phases. We show that a laser beam induces a phase transition when the system is dose to a structural phase change.

© 1990 Optical Society of America