A non-contact single optical fiber multi-optical tweezers probe: Design and fabrication

Optical tweezers have developed into a versatile and widely used tool; compared with the traditional optical tweezers, optical traps built with a single optical fiber provide a more flexible solution towards compact, integrated multiple traps. But the single optical tweezers have their own short comings—the manipulation working on the micro-particles is not non-contact, because of the fabrication method of the optical fiber probe. However we propose new single fiber multi-optical tweezers which are simple, low-cost and can manipulate micro-particles in a non-contact manner and non-invasively.     

微米级锥形光纤的近场光镊

分别从理论和实验上分析了光纤表面倏逝场强度的分布(z=10 nm, 100 nm, 500 nm,1 000 nm),研究了微米级光纤光镊对微球的操纵。实验中把直径为125 m的普通单模光纤拉制成锥腰直径为2 m的锥形光纤。当光纤通光时,在光纤锥区倏逝场的作用下,直径3 m的聚苯乙烯微球保持平衡状态,并且光纤附近的微球被吸引到光纤表面,以5.3 m /s的速度沿着光束的传播方向运动。这个实验不仅实现了对微球的成功捕获,而且验证了光纤光镊的力学作用。光纤光镊对微球的无接触、无损伤操纵,将在生物传感领域有潜在的应用。     

有限远共轭显微镜光镊设计和误差分析

光镊是研究单分子生物物理特性的独特工具, 因而光镊设备的研发是一个极为重要的课题. 本文根据矩阵光学, 对基于有限远共轭显微镜的光镊操控光路进行计算, 得出了阱位径向操控和轴向操控方程, 并分析了光束调控系统、 共焦系统后置透镜和耦合透镜安装位置误差及物镜轴向位置调整对光镊阱位径向及轴向操控精度的影响. 计算结果显示, 当物镜初级像面和耦合透镜像方焦面完全重合, 光束调控系统和耦合透镜的距离误差对阱位径向和轴向操控精度没有影响. 光镊系统元器件定位不准时, 基于无限远共轭显微镜光镊的阱位径向操控误差和轴向操控误差都小于基于有限远共轭显微镜光镊的阱位径向操控误差和轴向操控误差. 当光镊耦合透镜定位误差控制在小于10 mm时, 基于有限远共轭显微镜光镊的径向和轴向操控误差分别小于5.9%和11.4%, 有限远共轭显微镜仍然存在改造为光镊的价值.本文理论为基于有限远共轭显微镜的光镊设计、改造和操控提供理论和实验指导. 关键词： 光镊 光学设计 矩阵 误差     

单分子操纵与单分子生物物理

文章介绍了近年来发展起来的一些单分子操纵实验技术如光镊、磁镊、微针、斯托克斯拖曳技术，以及应用这些技术拉伸、旋转、解链DNA分子，从而研究其力学性质所取得的研究进展．各种蛋白质如T7 DNA聚合酶、拓扑异构酶，SWI／SNF染色质重建复合体、RNA聚合酶与DNA的作用在生化过程中十分重要，因此，文章也介绍了这些蛋白质与DNA在单分子的水平上相互作用所取得的研究进展．     

Point and planar ultraviolet excitation/detection of hydroxyl-radical laser-induced fluorescence through long optical fibers

We demonstrate an all-fiber-coupled, UV, laser-induced-fluorescence (LIF) detection system of the hydroxyl radical (OH) in flames. The nanosecond-pulsed excitation of the (1,0) band of the OH A(2)∑(+)-X(2)Π system at ～283 nm is followed by fluorescence detection from the (0,0) and (1,1) bands around 310 nm. The excitation-laser beam is delivered through a 400 μm core UV-grade optical fiber of up to 10 m in length, and the fluorescence signal collected is transmitted through a 1.5 mm core 3 m long fiber onto the remote detector. Single-laser-shot planar LIF (PLIF) imaging of OH in flames is also demonstrated using fiber-based excitation. The effects of delivering intense UV beams through long optical fibers are investigated, and the system improvements for an all-fiber-coupled OH-PLIF imaging system are discussed. Development of such fiber-based diagnostics and imaging systems constitutes a major step in transitioning laser diagnostic tools from research laboratories to reacting flow facilities of practical interest.     

阵列光镊的发展与应用

在生命科学研究中和在微量液体环境下分离液体中的细胞、生物大分子或胶体颗粒一直是一项具有挑战性的工作。"光镊"技术自20世纪80年代被提出到现在,在生命科学研究领域已经得到了日益广泛的运用。激光对细胞捕获的作用已得到进一步扩展,二维"光镊阵列"技术是近年来"光镊"技术中最重要的发展之一。讨论了阵列光镊的发展现状及基本原理,分析了它在生命科学中的应用,并对其发展趋势进行了展望。     

Micromechanical Photonics

Micromechanical photonics is evolving in interdisciplinary research and engineering fields to merge independently developed technologies based on optics, mechanics, electronics and physical/chemical sciences. Manufacturing technologies such as semiconductor lasers, surface-micromachining, and bulk-micromachining are promoting technology fusion. New conceptual frameworks such as very short external cavity tunable laser diodes, tunable filters, optical scanners, free-space micro-optical elements, integrated optical heads, a photothermal microresonator, optical tweezers, and optical rotators are now appearing.     

一种用于细胞操作的单光纤光镊研究

采用一种抛物线形光纤针作为基本器件,设计制作了单光纤光镊系统.用时域有限差分（Finite Difference Time Domain,FDTD）的方法仿真了抛物线型光纤探针的出射场,并在稳态场下通过对麦克斯韦应力张量积分求出不同介质球半径和折射率情况下,介质球受到的横向和纵向光作用力.实验中此单光纤光镊系统实现了对水中酵母细胞的空间捕获,并且结合两个抛物线形光纤针实现了酵母细胞在两个光势阱中的转移交接.这种单光纤光镊系统结构简单、紧凑,操纵灵活,便于调整.可以适应更多的生物细胞和生物分子的光微操作需求.     

远场光钳与近场光钳的发展

以经典光学为基础的光钳技术(又称"光镊")在生物、物理和化学等领域得到了广泛的发展和应用,但是该技术受到高倍显微物镜的尺寸和光学衍射极限等多种因素的制约,从而限制了其进一步发展。而远场光纤光钳和近场光钳技术,从不同方面克服了传统光钳的局限。回顾了传统光钳、远场光纤光钳和近场光钳的发展,着重讨论了各种方法的工作原理、实验方法和技术性能,对这几种光钳技术进行了深入地总结和细致地比较。     

Optical tweezers for confocal microscopy

In confocal laser scanning microscopes (CLSMs), lasers can be used for image formation as well as tools for the manipulation of microscopic objects. In the latter case, in addition to the imaging lasers, the light of an extra laser has to be focused into the object plane of the CLSM, for example as optical tweezers. Imaging as well as trapping by optical tweezers can be done using the same objective lens. In this case, z-sectioning for 3D imaging shifts the optical tweezers with the focal plane of the objective along the optical axis, so that a trapped object remains positioned in the focal plane. Consequently, 3D imaging of trapped objects is impossible without further measures. We present an experimental set-up keeping the axial trapping position of the optical tweezers at its intended position whilst the focal plane can be axially shifted over a distance of about 15 μm. It is based on fast-moving correctional optics synchronized with the objective movement. First examples of application are the 3D imaging of chloroplasts of Elodea densa (Canadian waterweed) in a vigorous cytoplasmic streaming and the displacement of zymogen granules in pancreatic cancer cells (AR42 J). Received: 24 March 2000 / Revised version: 23 June 2000 / Published online: 11 October 2000     

Simple and high efficient graded-index multimode fiber tweezers:simulation and experiment

We propose and demonstrate a novel single fiber optical tweezer based on a graded-index multimode fiber(GIMMF), which works with a free length GIMMF(30 cm). We achieve a three-dimensional stable trap of yeast cells by using the GIMMF optical tweezers. Compared with the single-mode fiber optical tweezers,the GIMMF optical tweezers possess large optical trapping forces. Owing to the freedom of the GIMMF length,the fabrication of the GIMMF optical tweezers is simple, repeatable, and highly efficient. The GIMMF tweezers have the penitential to become a new member of the single fiber optical tweezers family and have a wide range of applications in the medical and biological cytology fields.     

A study of multi-trapping of tapered-tip single fiber optical tweezers

We develop a pair of tapered-tip single fiber optical tweezers, and study its multi-trapping characteristic. The finite difference time domain method is employed to simulate the trapping force characteristic of this pair of single fiber optical tweezers, and the results show that the number of trapped particles depends on the refractive index and the size of the particles. The trapping force of this pair of tapered-tip single fiber optical tweezers is calibrated by the experimental method, and the experimental results are consistent with the theoretical calculation results. The multi-trapping capability realized by the tapered-tip single fiber optical tweezers will be practical and useful for applications in biomedical research fields.     

All-optical pulse shaping for ultrawideband doublet pulses using nonlinear optical loop mirror with optical parametric amplification

We propose and experimentally demonstrate an alternative photonic scheme for the generation of ultrawideband (UWB) doublet pulses, which is based on an optical fiber-based nonlinear optical loop mirror (NOLM) incorporating the optical parametric amplification (OPA) effect. The proposed scheme uses both cross-phase modulation and OPA within an optical fiber-based NOLM to produce an ideal transfer function for the shaping of input soliton pulses into doublet pulses. Using the proposed scheme, a successful conversion of input soliton pulses into doublet pulses is readily demonstrated. The system performance of UWB doublet pulses is also assessed by propagating the 1.25?Gbit/s doublet pulses over a fiber link. Error-free UWB doublet signal transmission is demonstrated.     

光镊系统的组建及光阱效应的观察

光镊是美国科学家Arthur Ashkin于1986年发明的,现被用来操控微小粒子和作为微小力的传感器.随着光镊技术的不断发展,光镊在生物大分子的操控和生物大分子生命过程中动力学研究方面发挥着巨大作用.本文介绍了光镊的工作原理,以及如何利用实验室现有条件,以较低成本搭建了一个简化的光镊系统,并观察了光镊对几种微小粒子的捕捉情况,证实了光阱有一定的作用范围,且其捕获能力随微粒尺寸增大而减小.     

Study on magnetic fluid optical fiber devices for optical logic operations by characteristics of superparamagnetic nanoparticles and magnetic fluids

We propose two optical fiber-based schemes using two magnetic fluid optical fiber modulators in series or in parallel for optical logic signal processing and operation. Here, each magnetic fluid optical fiber modulator consists of a bare multimode fiber surrounded by magnetic fluid in which the refractive index is adjustable by applying external magnetic fields amplifying the input electrical signal to vary the transmission intensity of the optical fiber-based scheme. The physical mechanisms for the performances of the magnetic fluid optical fiber devices, such as the transmission loss related to Boolean number of the logic operation as well as the dynamic response, are studied by the characteristics of superparamagnetic nanoparticles and magnetic fluids. For example, in the dynamic response composed of the retarding and response sub-procedures except the response times of the actuation coil, the theoretical evaluation of the retarding time variation with cladding magnetic fluids length has good agreement with the experimental results.     

纳米光镊技术发展与应用的研究

阐述了纳米光镊技术的特点,它将操作和探测精度从微米提高到纳米。归纳和总结了纳米光镊技术最新方面的研究进展,叙述了一些先进组合技术在改进光镊装置构造、操作精度以及校准方面的应用,并在此基础上提出了一些构想和建议。     

Brillouin-based fiber-optic distributed temperature sensor with optical preamplification

Optical preamplification has been used in a fiber-optic distributed temperature sensor based on spontaneous Brillouin scattering and the use of direct detection, resulting in improved signal-to-noise ratios. The fiber-based optical preamplifier system comprises a three-port circulator, an erbium-doped fiber amplifier with a small-signal gain of 27 dB, and a fiber Bragg grating with 47-GHz bandwidth. An improvement of 17 dB in the optical signal-to-noise ratio for the Brillouin signal is demonstrated in a 23-km sensor. The limit to the signal-to-noise ratio is attributed to spontaneous-spontaneous beat noise generated at the photodetector by amplified spontaneous emission from the optical amplifier.     

小型化可调光镊设计

光镊利用强会聚激光对微粒产生的梯度力来捕获微粒,可以进行无损、远程操控,同时具有皮牛精度的测力特性,已经成为物理学、生命科学和胶体化学等研究领域中不可缺少的研究工具。光镊效应可以表现微小的光子动量和角动量,是物理学的重要教学工具。本文根据高斯光束传播和变换规律,设计具有稳定捕获性能的最小化光镊,并给出了典型参数。光镊系统由捕获激光、光束耦合系统、倒置生物显微镜和大数值孔径物镜组成,成像系统由物镜、摄影目镜和CCD相机组成。本光镊系统具有紧凑特性,同时通过保持物镜后瞳充满度来实现稳定捕获。在该最小光镊系统上,可以根据用户需求增加光镊阱位操控系统、刚度调节系统和其他辅助设备以满足不同操控要求,可以很好地满足科研和教学需求。     

Theoretical study of micro-optical structure fabrication based on sample rotation and two-laser-beam interference

A method for fabricating a micro-optical structure based on sample rotation and two-laser-beam interference is proposed. The rotation process is analyzed using the coordinate transformation in matrix presentation and the theoretical expressions of the optical field distributions corresponding to different sample rotations. By rotating the samples and changing the laser wavelength, various special micro-optical structures can be obtained, such as equally spaced concentric rings and irregular trapezoidal lattices; these structures are demonstrated by simulating the corresponding optical field distributions. The proposed approach may be developed into a low-cost laser interference lithography technology for the fabrication of various micro-optical structures.     

Generation of sub-half-wavelength micro-optical traps by dichroic evanescent standing waves

The bi-dimensional optical lattices formed by several sets of laser evanescent standing waves propagating at the surface of a dielectric prism are investigated. The characteristics of the optical traps including their depths and the sizes are analysed. It is shown that the micro-optical lattice with a sub-half-wavelength size can be achieved by the interference of the selected evanescent waves. The scheme together with the recently developed atomic chip may be used for atomic quantum manipulation.