https://doi.org/10.1140/epjs/s11734-026-02405-9
Regular Article
Fabrication of RF aerogel targets with tunable density and microstructure via stacked micro-mold for laser-driven high pressure experiments
1
School of Physical Science and Engineering, Tongji University, 200092, Shanghai, China
2
Shanghai Institute of Laser Plasma, China Academy of Engineering Physics, 201899, Shanghai, China
a
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b
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c
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Received:
31
March
2026
Accepted:
20
May
2026
Published online:
2
June
2026
Abstract
The dynamic response of porous materials unde r extremely high pressure is crucial for studying the equation of state (EOS) of solid materials. Compared with traditional porous materials such as powders and foams, aerogels featuring nanoscale homogeneity, fixed morphology and tunable structural parameters exhibit significant potential in high-pressure experiments. However, EOS models for low-density aerogels under high-pressure conditions have long been limited by a lack of sufficient experimental data. Because both pore structure and material density can significantly affect the dynamic compression response of low-density aerogels, relevant experimental data are important for constraining theoretical models and improving prediction reliability. In this paper, we prepared millimeter-thick resorcinol-formaldehyde (RF) aerogel sheet targets for laser-driven loading experiments. By regulating the weight ratio, the density of aerogels can be continuously tuned over a wide range (
200–550 mg/cm
). Furthermore, within a comparable density range, the microstructure of aerogels can also be tuned effectively. Compared with conventional single-layer molding, the stacked micro-mold forming method effectively reduced sheet deformation and improved thickness consistency (
) of RF aerogel sheet targets. Four representative samples were further tested in laser-driven loading experiments and successfully acquired continuous and distinguishable rear-surface velocity signals. These results demonstrate the continuous density tuning, microstructure tunability within a comparable density range, improved thickness consistency, and practical applicability of the prepared RF aerogel targets while also laying a foundation for subsequent EOS analysis of porous materials.
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1140/epjs/s11734-026-02405-9.
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© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to EDP Sciences, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2026
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
