Formation of liquid menisci in flexible nanochannels

This paper describes the elasto-capillary formation of menisci at the liquid-air interface in nanochannels that are covered with flexible capping membranes. The equilibrium between the capillary pressure in the fluid and the membrane bending results in a very peculiar shape of the meniscus. We present an analytical description of these meniscus hapes and show that the protrusion length of the meniscus along the channel is an accurate measure for the deflection of the nanochannels.