Coated microspheres as enhanced probes for optical trapping

Biophysical Journal, 2009

In an optical trap, micron-sized dielectric particles are held by a tightly focused laser beam. The optical force on the particle is composed of an attractive gradient force and a destabilizing scattering force. We hypothesized that using anti-reflection-coated microspheres would reduce scattering and lead to stronger trapping. We found that homogeneous silica and polystyrene microspheres had a sharp maximum trap stiffness at a diameter of around 800 nm-the trapping laser wavelength in water-and that a silica coating on a polystyrene microsphere was a substantial improvement for larger diameters. In addition, we noticed that homogeneous spheres of a correct size demonstrated anti-reflective properties. Our results quantitatively agreed with Mie scattering calculations and serve as a proof of principle. We used a DNA stretching experiment to confirm the large linear range in detection and force of the coated microspheres and performed a high-force motor protein assay. These measurements show that the surfaces of the coated microspheres are compatible with biophysical assays.

Optics express, 2006

Using numerical solutions of Maxwell's equations in conjunction with the Lorentz law of force, we compute the electromagnetic force distribution in and around a dielectric micro-sphere trapped by a focused laser beam. Dependence of the optical trap's stiffness on the polarization state of the incident beam is analyzed for particles suspended in air or immersed in water, under conditions similar to those realized in practical optical tweezers. A comparison of the simulation results with available experimental data reveals the merit of one physical model relative to two competing models; the three models arise from different interpretations of the same physical picture.

Cumhuriyet Science Journal, 2021

In the ray-optics regime, we calculated the radial and axial force field on a micron-sized spherical particle in an optical levitation trap. The momentum change in the photon-stream path of tightly focused incident laser beam causes the calculated force field in the optical trap. The computational results for the force field are compared with the literature and a good agreement is obtained. Utilizing the benchmarked force field, the optical trapping dynamics of (i) a transparent spherical particle with continuous-wave 00 Gaussian beam and (ii) a reflecting spherical particle with continuous-wave 01 * Laguerre-Gaussian beam under various conditions are simulated in Matlab.

Optics Communications, 2012

We experimentally demonstrate the creation of a stable surface trap for colloidal microparticles in a high-intensity evanescent optical field that is produced by total internal reflection of two counterpropagating and mutually incoherent laser beams. While the particles confined in the trap undergo fast Brownian motion, they never ''stick'' to the surface -not even at high optical powers -but rather levitate above the surface. If many particles are stored in the trap, they tend to form a well ordered selforganized array. We apply a numerical model based on the general energy-momentum tensor formalism to evaluate the overall optical force acting on a trapped particle. The optical-field parameters are calculated using the finite element method. The simulations show that for small particles a sharp repulsive potential at the surface -required for the levitation -can have neither optical nor lightinduced thermal origin. Among the possible non-optical forces, electrostatic double-layer repulsion is often considered to be the origin of the levitation. We find, however, that the experimentally observed levitation of small particles in a high-intensity evanescent-wave trap cannot be explained by this effect.

PIERS Online, 2008

Optical trapping and micromanipulation has developed from an interesting novelty to a powerful and widely used tool, with the capability to move or trap microscopic live biological specimens and measure forces on the order of piconewtons, typical of forces in microbiological systems. Despite this, the range of particles typically trapped or manipulated is quite small, and it is unusual to see applications involving objects other than biological specimens or homogeneous isotropic microspheres, typically polymer or silica. However, particles can be modified or specially fabricated to expand the possible applications of optical tweezers. For example, while non-absorbing homogeneous isotropic spheres cannot be rotated, optically anisotropic spheres can, and can therefore function as microscopic torque sensors, extending the usual translational micromanipulation and force measurement to rotational manipulation and torque sensing. The development of such particles has led to applications in microscale metrology and biophysics, along with potential deployment of optically-driven micromachines in lab-on-a-chip devices. We present an overview of our work on the tailoring of microparticles for versatile optical trapping and micromanipulation. This includes approaches based on controlled chemistry -nanoassembly -and optical microfabrication. Beginning with the production of anisotropic vaterite microspheres, we review some of the applications, and difficulties encountered along the way. Some of these difficulties can be overcome by coating of the vaterite microspheres. We also discuss the use of anti-reflection coating to allow strong trapping of high refractive index particles. The alternative strategy of producing arbitrarily shaped polymer microstructures through two-photon photopolymerization is also discussed. This can be used to produce optically-driven microrotors or structurally anisotropic microspheres to replace vaterites for particular applications.

Physical Review Letters, 2002

We propose a novel way to trap and manipulate nano-objects above a dielectric substrate using an apertureless near-field probe. A combination of evanescent illumination and light scattering at the probe apex is used to shape the optical field into a localized, three dimensional optical trap. We use the coupled-dipole method and the Maxwell stress tensor to provide a self-consistent description of the optical force, including retardation and the influence of the substrate. We show that small objects can be selectively captured and manipulated under realistic conditions.

Physical Review E, 2002

Using a single microscope objective lens to optically trap, illuminate, and collect backscattered light of a dielectric microsphere, we measure the temporal-intensity-autocorrelation functions ͑ACFs͒, and intensity profiles to obtain the trap stiffness and friction coefficient of the bead. This is an interesting study of an harmonically bound Brownian particle, with nanometer resolution. We extend the work of Bar-Ziv et al. ͓Phys. Rev. Lett. 78, 154 ͑1997͔͒ to more general situations allowing for the use of our simpler geometry in other applications. As examples, we present measurements of the parallel Stokes friction coefficient on the trapped bead as a function of its distance from a surface and the entropic force of a single-DNA molecule.

Applied Physics Letters, 2016

Controlling the transport, trapping, and filtering of nanoparticles is important for many applications. By virtue of their weak response to gravity and their thermal motion, various physical mechanisms can be exploited for such operations on nanoparticles. However, the manipulation based on optical forces is potentially most appealing since it constitutes a highly deterministic approach. Plasmonic nanostructures have been suggested for this purpose, but they possess the disadvantages of locally generating heat and trapping the nanoparticles directly on surface. Here, we propose the use of dielectric rings made of high permittivity materials for trapping nanoparticles. Thanks to their ability to strongly localize the field in space, nanoparticles can be trapped without contact. We use a semi-analytical method to study the ability of these rings to trap nanoparticles. Results are supported by full-wave simulations. Application of the trapping concept to nanoparticle filtration is suggested.

IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics, 2015

Optical trapping of dielectric microparticles is reported using an optical tweezers based on two original chemically etched fiber nanoantenna. The nanoantenna converts Gaussian beam into nondiffracting type quasi-Bessel beam, which is used in trapping microparticles. Stable trapping in three distinct positions is observed for an antenna distance of 32.5 μm and for light powers as low as 1.3 mW. Optical trapping properties are studied by applying Boltzmann statistics to the particle position fluctuations. Harmonic trapping potentials with trap stiffness of 3.5 pN μm −1 are observed. The FDTD simulation results on the antenna optics are also included to understand the trapping mechanism.

Optical Trapping and Optical Micromanipulation XI, 2014

We present the stable trapping of luminescent 300-nm cerium-doped YAG particles in aqueous suspension using a dual fiber tip optical tweezers. The particles were elaborated using a specific glycothermal synthesis route together with an original protected annealing step. We obtained harmonic trap potentials in the direction transverse to the optical fiber axes. In the longitudinal direction, the potential shows some sub-structure revealed by two peaks in the distribution statistics with a distance of about half the wavelength of the trapping laser. We calculated intensity normalized trapping stiffness of 36 pN·µm −1 W −1 . These results are compared to previous work of microparticle trapping and discussed thanks to numerical simulations based on finite element method.