Calculation and optical measurement of laser trapping forces on non-spherical particles

Optical trapping, where microscopic particles are trapped and manipulated by light is a powerful and widespread technique, with the single-beam gradient trap (also known as optical tweezers) in use for a large number of biological and other applications. The forces and torques acting on a trapped particle result from the transfer of momentum and angular momentum from the trapping beam to the particle. Despite the apparent simplicity of a laser trap, with a single particle in a single beam, exact calculation of the optical forces and torques acting on particles is difficult. Calculations can be performed using approximate methods, but are only applicable within their ranges of validity, such as for particles much larger than, or much smaller than, the trapping wavelength, and for spherical isotropic particles. This leaves unfortunate gaps, since wavelength-scale particles are of great practical interest because they are readily and strongly trapped and are used to probe interesting microscopic and macroscopic phenomena, and non-spherical or anisotropic particles, biological, crystalline, or other, due to their frequent occurance in nature, and the possibility of rotating such objects or controlling or sensing their orientation. The systematic application of electromagnetic scattering theory can provide a general theory of laser trapping, and render results missing from existing theory. We present here calculations of force and torque on a trapped particle obtained from this theory and discuss the possible applications, including the optical measurement of the force and torque.     

非线性晶体产生的空心光束中大尺寸粒子囚禁与导引

提出了一种基于非线性ZnSe晶体产生的空心光束与光泳力的大尺寸粒子二维囚禁与一维导引、三维囚禁方案.理论上分析并计算了单个非线性ZnSe晶体产生的空心光束内粒子受到的横向与纵向光泳力,纵向光泳力的大小同粒子尺寸与光束尺寸比例的四次方成正比,与空心光束功率成正比,方向与光束传播方向一致.粒子尺寸与空心光束尺寸越接近时,横向光泳力的大小越大.结果表明该光泳力可以实现对大尺寸粒子的二维囚禁,同时可对粒子进行长距离(米量级)一维定向导引;理论上分析并计算了基于双非线性ZnSe晶体产生的局域空心光束内粒子所受横向与纵向光泳力情况,光泳力与系统参数的依赖关系与单个非线性晶体产生的空心光束中的粒子受力情况类似,不同的是该条件下纵向光泳力指向光束中心.结果表明该局域空心光束可以实现大尺寸粒子的三维有效囚禁.基于非线性ZnSe晶体产生的空心光束或者局域空心光束可以作为大尺寸粒子非接触式有效操控的工具,在现代光学以及生物医学中有潜在的应用.     

Bioconjugated Core–Shell Microparticles for High‐Force Optical Trapping

Due to their high spatial resolution and precise application of force, optical traps are widely used to study the mechanics of biomolecules and biopolymers at the single‐molecule level. Recently, core–shell particles with optical properties that enhance their trapping ability represent promising candidates for high‐force experiments. To fully harness their properties, methods for functionalizing these particles with biocompatible handles are required. Here, a straightforward synthesis is provided for producing functional titania core–shell microparticles with proteins and nucleic acids by adding a silane–thiol chemical group to the shell surface. These particles display higher trap stiffness compared to conventional plastic beads featured in optical tweezers experiments. These core–shell microparticles are also utilized in biophysical assays such as amyloid fiber pulling and actin rupturing to demonstrate their high‐force applications. It is anticipated that the functionalized core–shells can be used to probe the mechanics of stable proteins structures that are inaccessible using current trapping techniques.     

Focusing properties of concentric piecewise cylindrical vector beam

The focusing properties of a concentric piecewise cylindrical vector beam is investigated theoretically in this paper. The beam consists of three portions with different and changeable phase retardation and polarization. Numerical simulations show that the evolution of the focal shape is very considerable by changing the radius and polarization rotation angle of each portion of the vector beam. And some interesting focal spots may occur, such as two- or three-peak focus, dark hollow focus, ring focus, and two-ring-peak focus. Corresponding gradient force patterns are also computed, and novel trap patterns, including cup shell shape trap with one trap at its each side along axis, rectangle shell shape trap with one trap at its each side, dumbbell optical trap, spherical shell optical trap, may occur, which shows that the concentric piecewise cylindrical vector beam can be used to construct controllable optical tweezers.     

Lorentz force and the optical pulling of multiple rayleigh particles outside the dielectric cylindrical waveguides

The stimulating connection between the counter‐intuitive optical pulling effects and the Lorentz force has not been investigated in literature. This work demonstrates that multiple absorbing or non‐absorbing dielectric Rayleigh objects can be pulled locally with gradientless travelling waves outside a finite‐sized cylindrical nano or micro waveguide, if it is made up of a hollow core along with the cladding of at least two different dielectrics of appropriate refractive indices. Lorentz force analysis reveals that the bound surface charges of Rayleigh scatterer experience backward force, which overcomes the positive bulk force and ultimately results in the net pulling of the scatterer for several spatial regions outside the waveguide. Finally, in order to control the pulling of multiple Rayleigh particles based on scattering force and binding force, we have proposed a possible cylindrical coupler set‐up. This work may open a new window of optical pulling force due to the exclusion of conventional structured tractor beams along with the artificial exotic matters.     

Radiation torque and force on optically trapped linear nanostructures

We study the optical trapping of highly elongated linear nanostructures in the focal region of a high-numerical aperture lens (optical tweezers). The radiation torque and trapping force on these nanostructures that are modeled as chains of identical spherical scatterers are calculated by means of multipole field expansions in the framework of the transition matrix approach. We investigate both orientational and trapping stability and calculate force constants and trap parameters in order to clarify the role of the linear geometry in the optical trapping mechanism. Furthermore, we calculate optical trapping of nanowires of different materials and compare our theoretical findings with available experimental results.     

Simple and high efficient optical trapping using a cylindrical lens and a single plane wave of incidence

We suggest a simple and high efficient method for trapping particles in the evanescent field. In this method, a single plane wave is normally incident on the cylindrical surface of a cylindrical lens and then incident on the plane surface of the lens at an angle larger than the critical angle. Multiple reflections of light within the cylindrical lens create two evanescent waves with different directions in the transmitted field. Interference of two evanescent waves comes into being a standing wave which can stably trap particles close to the top of the cylindrical lens. Based on the Rayleigh approximation, we obtain analytical expressions of optical force acting on a Rayleigh particle placed in the vicinity of the lens. We find that the trap stiffness and trap depth is dependent on the radius of the cylindrical lens, wavelength and polarization of light, and incident angle at the lens–liquid interface.     

Stable optical trapping based on optical binding forces

Various trapping configurations have been realized so far, either based on the scattering force or the gradient force. In this Letter, we propose a new trapping regime based on the equilibrium between a scattering force and optical binding forces only. The trap is realized from the interaction between a single plane wave and a series of fixed small particles, and is efficient at trapping multiple free particles. The effects are demonstrated analytically upon computing the exact scattering from a collection of cylindrical particles and calculating the Lorentz force on each free particle via the Maxwell stress tensor.     

Gold nanoparticles: enhanced optical trapping and sensitivity coupled with significant heating

Gold nanoparticles appear to be superior handles in optical trapping assays. We demonstrate that relatively large gold particles (R(b)=50 nm) indeed yield a sixfold enhancement in trapping efficiency and detection sensitivity as compared to similar-sized polystyrene particles. However, optical absorption by gold at the most common trapping wavelength (1064 nm) induces dramatic heating (266 degrees C/W). We determined this heating by comparing trap stiffness from three different methods in conjunction with detailed modeling. Due to this heating, gold nanoparticles are not useful for temperature-sensitive optical-trapping experiments, but may serve as local molecular heaters. Also, such particles, with their increased detection sensitivity, make excellent probes for certain zero-force biophysical assays.     

两种非球形细胞光镊阱力标定方法的比较

玻尔兹曼统计法和均方位移法是两种可用于对非球型生物细胞在简谐光势阱中光阱力的标定方法. 用数字实验对这两种标定方法进行了比较, 结果表明： 与均方位移法相比,玻尔兹曼统计法不仅适用于各向异性非球性细胞,也适用于非简谐、非对称光势阱中任意形状的生物细胞光阱力的标定,结论与已有直接实验相符.     

飞秒光镊技术及其发展

激光捕获技术是利用光辐射力来捕捉、移动和操纵微粒的先进技术。飞秒光镊在实现粒子微纳操纵的同时还伴随着非线性现象的发生。阐述了飞秒光镊的模型和原理以及系统的各种结构形式,包括单光束梯度力光阱、贝塞耳光阱、双光束光纤光阱和冲击波光阱几种形式,并分析了每种形式的特点。     

激光捕获技术及其发展

激光捕获技术是利用光辐射力来捕捉、移动和操纵微粒的先进技术。光镊即单光束梯度力光阱是通过在高度会聚的激光束束腰附近所产生的极高的场强梯度来形成皮牛顿量级的力,可以三维地捕获和操纵微小粒子。阐述了激光捕获技术的模型和原理以及系统的基本结构;追踪了激光捕获技术的最新研究进展;介绍了非高斯型光阱、光纤光阱和全息光镊等几种特殊形式,并分析了每种形式的特点。展望了激光捕获技术的发展前景。     

Methods of calibration to optical trapping force upon non-spherical cells

The dynamical equation of a trapping cell is solved to find calibration methods for the trapping force, and two methods are compared by synthetic experiment data. Results indicate that: Boltzmann distribution method (BDM) is available for the force calibration of non-spherical or anisotropic cells in arbitrary trap potential; the mean square displacement method (MSDM) is available only for a symmetric harmonic optical trap. The spatial resolution requirement of the calibration system is about a nanometer. The results agree with the reported experiments.     

Electromagnetic torque and force in axially symmetric liquid-crystal droplets

Circularly polarized light exerts torque on birefringent objects. In the case of axially symmetric particles, however, the moment of radiation force balances the direct optical torque. This explains the observation that radial liquid-crystal droplets, in contrast to planar droplets, do not spin in circularly polarized light. The conclusion is in agreement with considerations based on the angular momentum conservation of light [Phys. Rev. Lett.96, 163905 (2006)].     

Optical trapping microfabrication with electrophoretically delivered particles inside glass capillaries

We have developed a new technique for rapid microfabrication that uses electrophoretically delivered particles and an optical trap. The material particles, micrometer- and nanometer-sized polystyrene beads in aqueous solution, are continuously delivered to an optical trap by means of the electrophoretic effect inside glass capillaries or similar microstructures. The optical trap is used to manipulate and deposit the polystyrene beads onto a substrate. The continuous, on-demand delivery of particles allows for microfabrication in two and three dimensions with high speed and high efficiency and without material waste. This new technique has many potential applications in microelectronics and biotechnology.     

Science as social history

Quantum states of light, such as squeezed states or entangled states, can be used to make measurements (metrology), produce images, and sense objects with a precision that far exceeds what is possible classically, and also exceeds what was once thought to be possible quantum mechanically. The primary idea is to exploit quantum effects to beat the shot-noise limit in metrology and the Rayleigh diffraction limit in imaging and sensing. Quantum optical metrology has received a boost in recent years with an influx of ideas from the rapidly evolving field of optical quantum information processing. Both areas of research exploit the creation and manipulation of quantum-entangled states of light. We will review some of the recent theoretical and experimental advances in this exciting new field of quantum optical metrology, focusing on examples that exploit a particular two-mode entangled photon state – the High-N00N state.     

Optical detection of attosecond ionization induced by a few-cycle laser field in a transparent dielectric material

We observe an optical signature induced by the modulation of electron density inside a bulk transparent solid that is quasiperiodically ionized on an attosecond time scale by electric field peaks of a focused few-cycle laser pulse. The emitted optical signal resulting from the attosecond ionization dynamics is spatially, temporally and spectrally isolated from concomitant optical responses through the use of a noncollinear pump-probe technique. The method holds promise for developing an attosecond metrology for bulk solids, in which, unlike in the established attosecond metrology of gases and surfaces, direct detection of charged particles is unfeasible.     

用于接触式探测的多模光纤探针形状优化

对于进行接触式探测的多模光纤探针,信号光来自于附着于探针表面的待测物。基于几何光学,提出了一个物理模型,用以分析探头形状对所收集的信号光强度的影响。采用此模型,对抛物线型探头进行了仿真,给出了最优形状参数,并采用表面增强拉曼探针进行了初步实验验证。此分析可用于指导各种光纤传感器的设计,以确定其最佳的形状参数,适用于荧光传感器、表面等离子体共振传感器、表面增强拉曼传感器等。     

Chiral lateral optical force near plasmonic ring induced by Laguerre-Gaussian beam

Owing to the good adjustability and the strong near-field enhancement, surface plasmons are widely used in optical force trap, thus the optical force trap can achieve excellent performance. Here, we use the Laguerre-Gaussian beam and a plasmonic gold ring to separate enantiomers by the chiral optical force. Along with the radial optical force that traps the particles, there is also a chirality-sign-sensitive lateral force arising from the optical spin angular momentum, which is caused by the interaction between optical orbit angular momentum and gold ring structure. By selecting a specific incident wavelength, the strong angular scattering and non-chiral related azimuthal optical force can be suppressed. Thus the chiral related azimuthal optical force can induce an opposite orbital rotation of the trapped particles with chirality of different sign near the gold ring. This work proposes an effective approach for catchingand separating chiral enantiomers.     

Direct measurement of torque in an optical trap and its application to double-strand DNA

We present a method that offers the possibility to directly apply and measure torque on particles in an optical trap. It can be used to rotationally manipulate biopolymers attached to appropriate particles. A flat object is trapped and oriented in the focus of a linearly polarized laser light. The direction and power of the orientational trap are controlled by the polarization state of the light. As a demonstration of the capabilities of the method, we examined the torsional stiffness of dsDNA (lambda-DNA) in its linear torsional regime by directly measuring the torque generated by the molecule.