Optical formation and manipulation of particle and cell patterns using a tapered optical fiber

A method for optical formation and controllable manipulation of particle and cell patterns using a tapered optical fiber is demonstrated. With a laser beam at 980‐nm wavelength launched into the fiber, different sized silica particles were formed into particle patterns (both one‐dimensional chains and two‐dimensional arrays) with different particle numbers by optical binding. The formed particle patterns can be controllably manipulated in three dimensions. Using yeast cells as an example, it was demonstrated that the method is applicable for the formation of biological cell patterns, without damage to the yeast cell viability. This method provides a new facile way for biophotonic and biological researches with particles and cells in a highly organized manner.     

Observation of V-type electromagnetically induced transparency and optical switch in cold Cs atoms by using nanofiber optical lattice

Optical nanofiber (ONF) is a special tool to achieve the interaction between light and matter with ultralow power. In this paper, we demonstrate V-type electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) in cold atoms trapped by an ONF-based two-color optical lattice. At an optical depth of 7.35, 90% transmission can be achieved by only 7.7 pW coupling power. The EIT peak and linewidth are investigated as a function of the coupling optical power. By modulating the pW-level control beam of the ONF-EIT system in sequence, we further achieve efficient and high contrast control of the probe transmission, as well as its potential application in the field of quantum communication and quantum information science by using one-dimensional atomic chains.     

表面修饰基团对金纳米颗粒非线性光学效应的影响研究

采用两相法分别制备一级硫醇修饰和二级十六烷基三甲基溴化铵(CTAB) 修饰的金纳米颗粒,通过透射电子显微镜和紫外-可见吸收光谱表征了其结构和线性光学性质. 采用开孔Z扫描技术,研究表面修饰对金纳米颗粒在532 nm波长激光作用下的非线性光学效应及光限幅性能的影响行为.结果表明,二级CTAB的修饰增强了颗粒在激光照射下的局域场作用, 并提高了热电子对非线性光学效应的贡献程度,从而有效地提高了金纳米颗粒的光限幅性能.     

Optical manipulation of molecular function by chromophore-assisted light inactivation

In addition to simple on/off switches for molecular activity, spatiotemporal dynamics are also thought to be important for the regulation of cellular function. However, their physiological significance and in vivo importance remain largely unknown. Fluorescence imaging technology is a powerful technique that can reveal the spatiotemporal dynamics of molecular activity. In addition, because imaging detects the correlations between molecular activity and biological phenomena, the technique of molecular manipulation is also important to analyze causal relationships. Recent advances in optical manipulation techniques that artificially perturb molecules and cells via light can address this issue to elucidate the causality between manipulated target and its physiological function. The use of light enables the manipulation of molecular activity in microspaces, such as organelles and nerve spines. In this review, we describe the chromophore-assisted light inactivation method, which is an optical manipulation technique that has been attracting attention in recent years.     

金纳米环结构的光学性质研究

采用离散偶极子近似方法(DDA)研究了两种不同形状的金纳米环结构的消光光谱及其近电场分布, 研究了等离子体消光峰的红移、蓝移现象及消光系数与结构参数之间的关系, 并与盘状的金纳米结构进行了比较. 在等离子体共振峰波长入射时, 金纳米环结构比金纳米盘结构产生更大的局域增强电场分布, 横截面为圆形的金纳米环结构比横截面为矩形的结构具有更大的局域增强电场分布, 更适合作为表面增强拉曼散射的衬底. 关键词： 离散偶极子近似 金纳米环 金纳米盘 光学性质     

光镊轴向阱位操控及器件安装误差对径向阱位操控的影响

光镊利用光学梯度力捕获和操控微小粒子,已经成为深入研究生物分子间相互作用等微观机制的独特技术.光镊光束操控系统一般由扩束输入镜、扩束输出镜、调焦透镜、耦合透镜和压电转镜等光学元器件组成,以保证物镜后瞳充满的前提下实现光镊阱位操控.光镊阱位的三维精确操控是实现光镊位钳和力钳模式的基本条件.本文根据矩阵光学,对基于无穷远校正显微镜的光镊操控光路进行计算,分析扩束输入镜、调焦透镜和物镜轴向位置调整,以及压电转镜、调焦透镜和耦合透镜安装位置误差对光镊径向阱位操控精度的影响,得到了物镜高度调整基本不会影响光镊径向位置操控,压电转镜和调焦透镜的安装位置误差对光镊径向阱位操控精度影响最大等结论,提出了能够实现径向阱位精确操控的轴向阱位动态操控范围,为光镊设计和操控提供理论和实验指导.     

Seed-mediated growth of gold nanoparticles using self-assembled monolayer of polystyrene microspheres as nanotemplate arrays

Arrays of noble metal nanoparticles show potential applications in (bio-)sensing, optical storage, surface-enhanced spectroscopy, and waveguides. For all such potential devices, controlling the size, morphology, and interparticle spacing of the nanoparticles is very important. Here, we combine seed-mediated growth with nanosphere lithography to study the controllable growth of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs), in which the self-assembly monolayer of polystyrene (PS) on a silicon surface is used to guide the modification of alkanesilanes and the subsequent adsorption of gold seeds; seed-mediated growth is applied to controlling the morphology and size of Au NPs. The size of adsorption region (determining the number of adsorbed gold seeds) is controlled by etching PS microspheres with oxygen plasma or annealing PS microspheres at the glass transition temperature. The size and morphology of the Au NPs are controlled by changing growth conditions. In such a way, we have achieved the dual control of the obtained Au NPs. Preliminary results show that this strategy holds a great promise. This approach can also be extended to a wide range of materials and substrates.     

Ultrasonic-assisted spark plasma discharge for gold nanoparticles synthesis

We examine the ultrasonic-assisted spark discharge in gold nanoparticles production. A 1 kHz pulsed power supply is used to generate spark discharge plasma. The appropriate range of peak power (pulse peak current) for nanoparticles production was determined by the Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) method. Colloidal gold nanoparticles were synthesized in 100 mL deionized water and pure ethanol as liquid dielectrics. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) micrographs show that the nanoparticles diameter in the deionized water is larger than in pure ethanol. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) micrographs of the gold nanoparticles also confirm the SEM results with more accuracy. The present study revealed that the ultrasonic wave increases the shape uniformity of the nanoparticles and decreases their size.     

Synthesis and characterization of cobalt/gold bimetallic nanoparticles

Cobalt/gold (Co/Au) bimetallic nanoparticles are prepared by chemically reducing gold (III) chloride to gold in the presence of pre-synthesized Co nanoparticles. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) absorption spectrometry, and a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometer have been used to characterize as-prepared bimetallic nanoparticles. Our findings demonstrate Au not only grows onto Co nanoparticles, forming a surface coating, but also diffuses into Co nanoparticles. The introduction of Au alters the crystalline structure of Co nanoparticles and changes their magnetic properties. Dodecanethiols induce a reorganization of as-prepared Co/Au bimetallic nanoparticles.     

Optical manipulation at planar dielectric surfaces using evanescent Hermite-Gaussian light

We show that a set of high order Hermite-Gaussian light beams when internally reflected at a dielectric/vacuum interface can generate well-defined evanescent light modes in each of which the intensity distribution is confined to a sub-wavelength region near the interface outside the dielectric. We suggest that this could greatly facilitate lateral optical manipulation of nano-particles and neutral atoms along the interface. Equally significantly, the scenario could lead to the formation of two-dimensional optical potential arrays and surface optical lattices that could form a suitable architecture for the implementation of quantum computing using neutral atoms.     

Trapping and release of citrate-capped gold nanoparticles

An electrical method to trap and release charged gold nanoparticles onto and from the surface of gold electrodes modified by an alkanethiol self-assembled monolayer (SAM) is presented. To form electrodes coated with gold nanoparticles (GNPs), amine-terminated SAMs on gold electrodes were immersed in a solution of negatively charged citrate-capped GNPs. Accumulation of GNPs on the electrode surface was monitored by a decrease in the impedance of the SAM-modified electrode and by an increase in the electrochemical activity at the electrode as shown through cyclic voltammetry (CV). Electrostatic interactions between the GNPs and the amine-terminated SAM trap the GNPs on the electrode surface. Application of a subsequent negative bias to the electrode initiated a partial release of the GNPs from the electrode surface. Impedance spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were used to monitor and confirm the attraction of GNPs to and release from the aminealkanethiolated gold electrodes. This work describes a method of trapping and release for citrate-capped GNPs that could be used for on-demand nanoparticle delivery applications such as in assessing and modeling nanoparticle toxicology, as well as for monitoring the functionalization of gold nanoparticles.     

Three-dimensional dynamic optical manipulation by combining a diffractive optical element and a spatial light modulator

Since the introduction of computer-controlled spatial light modulators (SLMs), holographic optical tweezers have become an important tool for dynamic parallel optical manipulation. In this paper we clarify the usefulness of a new configuration for optical trapping that creates light patterns using the combination of a diffractive optical element (DOE) and an SLM. This configuration not only enables the use of the higher part of the SLM’s diffraction efficiency curve, because a simple hologram can be chosen for the SLM, but also achieves three-dimensional dynamic optical manipulation over a large spatial range. By switching blaze-like holograms displayed on the SLM, we demonstrated simultaneous transportation of three 6-μm-diameter polystyrene beads over a range of 90 μm in the vertical direction and 37.5 μm in the horizontal direction. Compared with the same manipulation executed using only the SLM, the range of this method is extended four-fold in the vertical direction and three-fold in the horizontal direction.     

Controlling optical properties of periodic gold nanoparticle arrays by changing the substrate, topologic shapes of nanoparticles, and polarization direction of incident light

The effects of various parameters including thickness and dielectric constants of substrates,shapes of nanoparticles,and polarization direction of incident light,on the extinction spectra of periodic gold nanoparticle arrays are investigated by the full-vectorial three-dimensional (3D) finite difference time domain (FDTD) method.The calculated results show that the substrate affects the extinction spectra by coupling the fields co-excited by the substrate and gold nanoparticles.Extinction spectra are influenced by the shapes of the nanoparticles,but there are no obvious changes in extinction spectra for similar shapes.The polarization direction of incident light has a great influence on the extinction spectra.The implications of these results are discussed.     

单原子冷却及光学操控的实验进展

文章综述了基于原子冷却与俘获的单原子制备及其光学操控的基本实验原理及实验进展,并介绍了单原子制备及光学操控在量子寄存器、单光子源、原子-光子纠缠等方面的应用,简述了文章作者所在研究小组在单原子制备和光学操控方面的实验进展.     

利用光镊技术演示光的自旋角动量

阐述了光与物体相互作用时自旋角动量的传递与扭力矩原理.基于光镊光致旋转原理,利用能够悬浮单个粒子的光镊技术并采用具有双折射特性的CaCO3晶体粒子,设计了微粒在不同偏振光场中的旋转运动实验内容,研究光与双折射晶体粒子相互作用产生的光致旋转效应,观察和测量由自旋角动量引起粒子的扭转力矩的大小、方向以及旋转速度等力学效应.     

Gold and Silver Nanomaterial‐Based Optical Sensing Systems

Gold and silver nanomaterials (NMs) such as nanoparticles (NPs) and nanoclusters (NCs) possessing interesting optical properties have become popular sensing materials. With strong surface plasmon resonance (SPR) absorption, extraordinary stability, ease in preparation, conjugation, and biocompatibility, Au NPs are employed to develop sensitive and selective sensing systems for a variety of analytes. However, small sizes of Au and Ag NCs with interesting photoluminescence (PL) properties are used in many PL‐based sensing systems for the detection of important analytes. In addition, many bimetallic AuM NMs possessing strong catalytic activity are used to develop highly sensitive fluorescent sensors. This review article is categorized in four sections based on the NMs used in the sensing systems, including Au NPs, bimetallic AuM NMs, Au NCs, and DNA–Ag NCs. In each section, synthetic strategies and optical properties of the NMs are provided briefly, followed by emphasis on their analytical applications in the detection of small molecules, metal ions, DNA, proteins, and cells. Current challenges and future prospects of these NMs‐based sensing systems will be addressed.     

Fluorescence quenching using plasmonic gold nanoparticles

This communication describes the study of fluorescence quenching in a new fluorescent laser dye ADS680HO is attached to gold nanoparticles of size 4-12 nm. Photo physical properties confirms that it is due to size, shape, coupling between nanoparticles with laser dye ADS680HO, and energy transfer between dye and nanoparticles. Fluorescence quenching leads to advancement in biomolecular labeling and fluorescence patterning.     

单原子冷却及光学操控的实验进展

文章综述了基于原子冷却与俘获的单原子制备及其光学操控的基本实验原理及实验进展,并介绍了单原子制备及光学操控在量子寄存器、单光子源、原子－光子纠缠等方面的应用,简述了文章作者所在研究小组在单原子制备和光学操控方面的实验进展.     

Higher order mode propagation in an optical nanofiber

The propagation of higher modes, such as the LP₁₁ mode, in optical nanofibers using the exponentially tapered optical fiber as a basic model is investigated. In order to preserve the LP₁₁ mode in the downtaper as far as the nanofiber waist, the effect of varying the cladding-core radius ratio on the LP₁₁ adiabatic criterion is modeled. A Laguerre-Gaussian beam is created in free space using a spatial light modulator (SLM) and coupled to a few-mode fiber. This device allows convenient switching between the fundamental and LP₁₁ fiber modes. By selecting a few-mode fiber with a relatively low cladding-core ratio, the propagation of the LP₁₁ mode down to a submicron waist has been maintained. Furthermore, by observing the transmission profile during tapering, it is possible to decisively terminate the pulling process in order to eliminate the two degenerate HE₂₁ modes of the LP₁₁ mode. As a result, a nanofiber can be fabricated through which only the TE₀₁ and TM₀₁ components of the LP₁₁ mode propagate. Such a nanofiber has promising applications in the area of mode interference for controlled particle trapping sites.     

Optical manipulation of plasmonic nanoparticles

We investigate numerically the optical forces exerted by an incident light beam on metal nanoparticles (MNP) sustaining the so-called localized surface plasmons (LSP). We first describe how the particle dispersion can be used to tune the respective contribution from extinction and gradient forces. By a suitable adjustment of the illumination conditions, single MNP can be selectively guided, sorted and trapped. The second part of our work investigates the interparticle forces existing within a MNP ensemble. Our results show that MNP located in a conventional optical trap can self-arrange under optical forces according to specific architectures. In particular, at very low distances, they tend to agglomerate into metal clusters leading to very high field concentration in the interstices. PACS 71.45.Gm; 71.36.+c; 87.80.Cc