Trapping Microparticles in a Structured Dark Focus

Phys Rev Lett. 2023 Oct 20;131(16):163601. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.131.163601.

Abstract

We experimentally demonstrate stable trapping and controlled manipulation of silica microspheres in a structured optical beam consisting of a dark focus surrounded by light in all directions-the dark focus tweezer. Results from power spectrum and potential analysis demonstrate the nonharmonicity of the trapping potential landscape, which is reconstructed from experimental data in agreement to Lorentz-Mie numerical simulations. Applications of the dark tweezer in levitated optomechanics and biophysics are discussed.