Device for tuning microfluidic droplet frequency and synchronizing phase for serial femtosecond crystallography

A system for synchronizing water droplet phase of a microfluidic water droplet-in-oil stream with a phase of an x-ray free electron laser, the system comprising:

• a microfluidic T-junction phase synchronizer, the microfluidic T-junction phase synchronizer interfaced to:
• an upstream water-in-oil droplet generator device at a first inlet of the microfluidic T-junction phase synchronizer via a first capillary;
• a downstream water droplet detector at an outlet of the microfluidic T-junction phase synchronizer via a second capillary;
• and
• an upstream sacrificial oil source at a second inlet of the microfluidic T-junction phase synchronizer via a third capillary;
• wherein the microfluidic T-junction phase synchronizer
• injects sacrificial oil received at the second inlet from the upstream sacrificial oil source into a microfluidic water droplet-in-oil stream received at the first inlet from the upstream water in oil droplet generator device, and
• outputs the microfluidic water droplet-in-oil stream to the downstream droplet detector;
• a controller configured to adjust the water droplet phase of the microfluidic water droplet-in-oil stream by controllably adjusting a flow rate of the sacrificial oil injected by the microfluidic T-junction phase synchronizer into the microfluidic water droplet-in-oil stream;
• and
• a flow rate control splitting junction with a first output interfaced to the second inlet of the microfluidic T-junction phase synchronizer and an input interfaced to the sacrificial oil source, wherein the controller is configured to control the flow rate of the injected sacrificial oil by operating the flow rate control splitting junction,
• wherein the flow rate control splitting junction includes a second output interfaced to an excess oil reservoir, and wherein the controller is configured to operate the flow rate control splitting junction to control a proportion of the sacrificial oil flow through the flow rate control splitting junction that is directed to the second inlet of the microfluidic T-junction phase synchronizer and a proportion of the sacrificial oil that is directed to the excess oil reservoir.