Giant optical manipulation

Phys Rev Lett. 2010 Sep 10;105(11):118103. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.105.118103. Epub 2010 Sep 10.

Abstract

We demonstrate a new principle of optical trapping and manipulation increasing more than 1000 times the manipulation distance by harnessing strong thermal forces while suppressing their stochastic nature with optical vortex beams. Our approach expands optical manipulation of particles into a gas media and provides a full control over trapped particles, including the optical transport and pinpoint positioning of ∼100 μm objects over a meter-scale distance with ±10 μm accuracy.

MeSH terms

  • Carbon / chemistry
  • Glass / chemistry
  • Microspheres
  • Optical Phenomena
  • Optical Tweezers*
  • Particle Size

Substances

  • Carbon