Toward room-temperature optical manipulation of small molecules

Room-temperature optical manipulation of small molecules is a challenging issue in the field of material science. To increase optical force for a single molecule trapping, it has been recognized that resonant excitation of molecules should be controlled under the light illumination. Strongly interacting molecules with solid surfaces at electrified interfaces show the exotic behavior of electronic excitation by localized surface plasmon. In this review, we emphases that surface-enhanced Raman scattering can be used to evaluate the resonant excitation of target molecules at interfaces. Under such excitation, the diffusion of small molecules can be controlled by the optical force generated by the intensity gradient of a highly localized electric field.     

Nano-Optical Tweezers: Methods and Applications for Trapping Single Molecules and Nanoparticles

Optical tweezers were developed in 1970 by Arthur Ashkin as a tool for the manipulation of micron-sized particles. Ashkin's original design was then adapted for a variety of purposes, such as trapping and manipulation of biological materials^[1] and the laser cooling of atoms.^[2,3] More recent development has led to nano-optical tweezers, for trapping particles on the scale of only a few nanometers, and holographic tweezers, which allow for dynamic control of multiple traps in real-time. These alternatives to conventional optical tweezers have made it possible to trap single molecules and to perform a variety of studies on them. Presented here is a review of recent developments in nano-optical tweezers and their current and future applications.     

Controlled optical manipulation and sorting of nanomaterials enabled by photonic and plasmonic nanodevices

Precise manipulation and sorting of nanomaterials cannot rely on techniques used for micro- and macro-scale objects because of their nanoscale size, which is smaller than the diffraction limit, and their fast Brownian diffusion. To overcome the limitations of standard optical tweezers, new techniques have recently emerged that make use of optical forces acting on nanomaterials in the vicinity of photonic and plasmonic nanostructures. This review focuses on the techniques that have been recently developed to either optically transport, sort, trap, rotate, assemble, or deposit nanomaterials using photonic or plasmonic devices. The first part is dedicated to the optical transport and sorting of nanomaterials using photonic waveguides. The second part provides an overview of the recent work on optical trapping and manipulation of nanomaterials using photonic and plasmonic nanoresonators. The third part provides a short summary of recent work on optical trapping and manipulation using metalenses and metasurfaces. This review aims to highlight some specific functionalities enabled by photonic and plasmonic devices that make it possible to tailor the optical forces acting on nanomaterials.     

Laser interference‐based technique for dynamic measurement of single cell deformation manipulated by optical tweezers

A laser interference‐based method was proposed to measure the deformation response of cell manipulated by optical tweezers. This method was implemented experimentally by integrating a laser illuminating system and optical tweezers with an inverted microscope. Interference fringes generated by the transmitted and reflected lights were recorded by a complementary metal oxide semiconductor camera. From the acquired images, cell height was calculated and cell morphology was constructed. To further validate this method, the morphological analyses of HeLa cells were performed in static state and during detachment process. Subsequently, the dynamic deformation responses of red blood cells were measured during manipulation with optical tweezers. Collectively, this laser interference‐based method precludes the requirement of complex optical alignment, allows easy integration with optical tweezers, and enables dynamic measurement of cell deformation response by using a conventional inverted microscope.     

Plasmon‐Exciton Coupling Interaction for Surface Catalytic Reactions

In this review, we firstly reveal the physical principle of plasmon‐exciton coupling interaction with steady absorption spectroscopy, and ultrafast transition absorption spectroscopy, based on the pump‐prop technology. Secondly, we introduce the fabrication of electro‐optical device of two‐dimensional semiconductor‐nanostructure noble metals hybrid, based on the plasmon‐exciton coupling interactions. Thirdly, we introduce the applications of plasmon‐exciton coupling interaction in the field of surface catalytic reactions. Lastly, the perspective of plasmon‐exciton coupling interaction and applications closed this review.     

Manipulation and characterization of aqueous sodium dodecyl sulfate/sodium chloride aerosol particles

Aerosol optical tweezers coupled with Raman spectroscopy can allow the detailed investigation of aerosol dynamics. We describe here measurements of the evolving size, composition, and phase of single aqueous aerosol droplets containing the surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate and the inorganic salt sodium chloride. Not only can the evolving wet particle size be probed with nanometer accuracy, but we show that the transition to a metastable microgel particle can be followed, demonstrating that optical tweezers can be used to manipulate both spherical and non-spherical aerosol particles. Further, through the simultaneous manipulation and characterization of two aerosol droplets of different composition in two parallel optical traps, the phase behavior of a surfactant-doped particle and a surfactant-free droplet can be compared directly in situ. We also illustrate that the manipulation of two microgel particles can allow studies of the coagulation and interaction of two solid particles. Finally, we demonstrate that such parallel measurements can permit highly accurate comparative measurements of the evolving wet particle size of a surfactant-doped droplet with a surfactant-free droplet.     

Optofluidic devices and applications in photonics, sensing and imaging

Optofluidics integrates the fields of photonics and microfluidics, providing new freedom to both fields and permitting the realization of optical and fluidic property manipulations at the chip scale. Optofluidics was formed only after many breakthroughs in microfluidics, as understanding of fluid behaviour at the micron level enabled researchers to combine the advantages of optics and fluids. This review describes the progress of optofluidics from a photonics perspective, highlighting various optofluidic aspects ranging from the device's property manipulation to an interactive integration between optics and fluids. First, we describe photonic elements based on the functionalities that enable fluid manipulation. We then discuss the applications of optofluidic biodetection with an emphasis on nanosensing. Next, we discuss the progress of optofluidic lenses with an emphasis on its various architectures, and finally we conceptualize on where the field may lead.     

Amorphous Materials for Enhanced Localized Surface Plasmon Resonances

The discovery of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) in semiconductor nanocrystals has initiated a new field in plasmonics. Plasmonic nanocrystals in particular have seen rapid development in recent years because they are a class of materials with unique photoelectronic properties. At present, a growing number of amorphous plasmonic materials has been steadily capturing scientific interest, though only a few of these are well characterized. Here we focus on recent developments in state‐of‐the art experiments and explore the vast library of plasmonic properties in amorphous materials, including their application fields and optical spectral range. Taken together, the growing regime of amorphous material plasmonics offers enticing avenues for harnessing light–matter interactions from the visible to the terahertz region, with new potential for optical manipulation beyond what can be accomplished using traditional crystal materials.     

Novel optical techniques for the analysis of polymer surfaces and thin films

Summary We report on novel optical techniques, based on evanescent waves, for the characterization of polymer surfaces and thin films. We first describe photo-ablation studies with polysilane films investigated by surface plasmon microscopy, a technique which is particularly well-suited for ultrathin samples. Thicker films that are homogeneous enough to carry optical waveguide modes can be characterized with high lateral resolution by the recently developed waveguide microscopy. We demonstrate this for a thin film of a solid polyelectrolyte. Finally, we report on surface plasmon field-enhanced Raman-spectroscopic and -imaging investigations of ultrathin Langmuir-Blodgett-Kuhn-layers of cadmium arachidate.W. Hickel is now with HOECHST AG, Angewandte Physik, W-6230 Frankfurt 80     

Localized surface plasmon resonance: nanostructures, bioassays and biosensing--a review

Localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) is an optical phenomena generated by light when it interacts with conductive nanoparticles (NPs) that are smaller than the incident wavelength. As in surface plasmon resonance, the electric field of incident light can be deposited to collectively excite electrons of a conduction band, with the result being coherent localized plasmon oscillations with a resonant frequency that strongly depends on the composition, size, geometry, dielectric environment and separation distance of NPs. This review serves to describe the physical theory of LSPR formation at the surface of nanostructures, and the potential for this optical technology to serve as a basis for the development bioassays and biosensing of high sensitivity. The benefits and challenges associated with various experimental designs of nanoparticles and detection systems, as well as creative approaches that have been developed to improve sensitivity and limits of detection are highlighted using examples from the literature.     

Enhanced cell sorting and manipulation with combined optical tweezer and microfluidic chip technologies

Sorting (or isolation) and manipulation of rare cells with high recovery rate and purity are of critical importance to a wide range of physiological applications. In the current paper, we report on a generic single cell manipulation tool that integrates optical tweezers and microfluidic chip technologies for handling small cell population sorting with high accuracy. The laminar flow nature of microfluidics enables the targeted cells to be focused on a desired area for cell isolation. To recognize the target cells, we develop an image processing methodology with a recognition capability of multiple features, e.g., cell size and fluorescence label. The target cells can be moved precisely by optical tweezers to the desired destination in a noninvasive manner. The unique advantages of this sorter are its high recovery rate and purity in small cell population sorting. The design is based on dynamic fluid and dynamic light pattern, in which single as well as multiple laser traps are employed for cell transportation, and a recognition capability of multiple cell features. Experiments of sorting yeast cells and human embryonic stem cells are performed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed cell sorting approach.     

Optical trapping in micro- and nanoconfinement systems: Role of thermo-fluid dynamics and applications

In this mini-review, recent advances on the role of a focused laser in micro- and nanofluidic systems is widely introduced with special interest in thermo-fluid dynamical aspects and their importance in optical manipulation. As a brief introduction to microfluidic systems, we describe the advantages and challenges of the use of micro- and nanoscale confinement in optical trapping, as well as standard fabrication techniques for micro- and nanofluidic systems. From thermo-fluid dynamical viewpoints, various phenomena that accompany a laser irradiation to fluidic devices, are explained in detail. These phenomena can affect the optical trapping of target materials significantly, and are classified into two categories: one that induces the fluid flow around the target and another that directly acts on it as an external force. These classes are reviewed by shedding light on some recent cutting-edge researches for optical manipulation. Some applications using thermo-fluid dynamics in microfluidic systems for the measurement of optical forces and for the separation, measurement, and detection of target materials are also introduced.     

Light-controlled movement of isotropic droplets in smectic films

This paper reports on optical trapping of micrometre-sized isotropic inclusions in free-standing smectic A* films. Droplet manipulation and trapping potential in such a two-dimensional anisotropic system show that optical trapping has two distinct regimes with unique separation dependence, governed by long-range and short-range trapping forces and enhanced diffusivity at the free surfaces. Molecular ordering in the surface layers of isotropic inclusions, at the liquid crystal–air interface, in addition leads to a new field of light-controlled particle dynamics. For low laser powers, translational motion of a droplet along the laser polarisation is observed. Above the threshold laser power, the transfer of optical angular momentum to the inclusion via linearly polarised light leads to circular-like motion. As the optical torque for a given intensity is counterbalanced by the elastic torque of the smectic film, this motion results in finite angle steps.     

Manipulating nanoparticles in solution with electrically contacted nanotubes using dielectrophoresis

Dielectrophoresis is an electronic analogue1,2 of optical tweezers3 based on the same physical principle: an ac electric field induces a dipole moment on an object in solution, which then experiences a force proportional to the gradient of the field intensity. For both types of tweezers, this force must compete with thermal Brownian4 motion to be effective, which becomes increasingly difficult as the particle size approaches the nanometer scale. Here we show that this restriction can be overcome by using the large electric field gradient in the vicinity of a carbon nanotube to electronically manipulate nanoparticles down to 2 nm in diameter.     

Immunoassay of plasmonic gold‐nanoparticle clusters: Plasmon coupling effects for Parkinson biomarker detection

A simple signal‐on plasmonic optical assay for the detection of the Parkinson biomarker using gold‐nanoparticle clusters (AuNCs) for signal amplification is presented. This approach is based on the improvement of the optical density (OD) change of the plasmonic band of a localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) Au nanoparticle (AuNP) sensor interface using Au NCs conjugated antibodies. The amplification results in a 260‐fold improvement in concentration detection, from 1,000 ng/mL (unlabeled antibody) to 3.8 ng/mL (antibody‐conjugated AuNCs). The sensitivity enhancement can be ascribed to the further plasmonic coupling between the antibody‐conjugated AuNCs and the AuNPs on the LSPR interface and the enhanced amount of target molecule bound to the bioassay. This AuNCs‐assisted signal amplification strategy allows for improving the sensitivity of the plasmon‐based bioassays and can be extended to other optical‐based diagnostic technologies. Importantly, the simple detecting procedure and protocol assembly make it competitive with other existing sensing technologies such as ELISA, allowing for practical usage in clinical diagnostics.     

Optically trapped microsensors for microfluidic temperature measurement by fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy

The novel combination of optical tweezers and fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) has been used, in conjunction with specially developed temperature-sensitive fluorescent microprobes, for the non-invasive measurement of temperature in a microfluidic device. This approach retains the capability of FLIM to deliver quantitative mapping of microfluidic temperature without the disadvantageous need to introduce a fluorescent dye that pervades the entire micofluidic system. This is achieved by encapsulating the temperature-sensitive Rhodamine B fluorophore within a microdroplet which can be held and manipulated in the microfluidic flow using optical tweezers. The microdroplet is a double bubble in which an aqueous droplet of the fluorescent dye is surrounded by an oil shell which serves both to contain the fluorophore and to provide the refractive index differential required for optical trapping of the droplet in an external aqueous medium.     

Towards an integrated optical single aerosol particle lab

We present a manipulation and characterization system for single airborne particles which is integrated onto a microscope slide. Trapped particles are manipulated by means of radiation pressure and characterized by cavity enhanced Raman spectroscopy. Optical fibers are used to deliver the trapping laser light as well as to collect the Raman scattered light, allowing for a flexible usage of the device. The system features a sample chamber which is separated from an aerosol-flooded injection chamber by means of a light guiding glass-capillary. The coupling of this device with an aerosol optical tweezers setup to selectively load its trapping sites is demonstrated. Finally, a route towards chip-integrated handling and processing of multiple particles is shown and the first results are presented.     

Electrodeless dielectrophoresis: Impact of geometry and material on obstacle polarization

Insulator‐based (electrodeless) dielectrophoresis (iDEP) is a promising particle manipulation technique, based on movement of matter in inhomogeneous fields. The inhomogeneity of the field arises because the excitatory field distorts at obstacles (posts). This effect is caused by accumulation of polarization charges at material interfaces. In this study, we utilize a multipole expansion method to investigate the influence of geometry and material on field distortion of posts with arbitrary cross‐sections in homogeneous electric fields applied perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the post. The post then develops a multipole parallel or anti parallel to the excitatory field. The multipoles intensity is defined by the post's structure and material properties and directly influences the DEP particle trapping potential. We analyzed posts with circular and rhombus‐shaped cross‐sections with different cross‐sectional width‐to‐height ratios and permittivities for their polarization intensity, multipole position, and their particle trapping behavior. A trade‐off between high maximum field gradient and high coverage range of the gradient is presented, which is determined by the sharpness of the post's edges. We contribute to the overall understanding of the post polarization mechanism and expect that the results presented will help optimizing the structure of microchannels with arrays of posts for electrodeless DEP application.     

Ag Nanowire‐Ag Nanoparticle Hybrids for the Highly Enhanced Fluorescene Detection of Protoporphyrin IX Based on Surface Plasmon‐Enhanced Fluorescence

In this study, we developed an approach to fabricate novel 1D Ag NWs‐Ag NPs hybrid substrate for enhanced fluorescene detection of protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) based on surface plasmon‐enhanced fluorescence. The Ag NWs‐Ag NPs hybrid was synthesized by combining the hydrothermal method and self‐assembly method with the asisstance of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). When the Ag NWs‐Ag NPs hybrid was deposited on the glass substrate and employed as active substrate to detect PpIX, the fluorescence intensity of PpIX was enhanced greatly due to the coupling effect of localized surface plasmon‐localized surface plasmon (LSP‐LSP) and localized surface plasmon‐surface plasmon propagation (LSP‐SPP) which induced great enhancement of the electromagnetic field. Furthermore, the enhancement effect was approximately linear when the concentration of PpIX was ranged from 1×10^?7 mol/L to 2×10^?5 mol/L, and the photobleaching phenomenon of PpIX was reduced greatly, indicating that the fabricated Ag NWs‐Ag NPs hybrid substrate had well performance for PpIX imaging. This work provides an effective approach to prepare highly sensitive and stable fluorescence enhancement substrate, and has great potential application in fluorescence imaging.     

Holographic optical tweezers and their relevance to lab on chip devices

During the last decade, optical tweezers have been transformed by the combined availability of spatial light modulators and the speed of low-cost computing to drive them. Holographic optical tweezers can trap and move many objects simultaneously and their compatibility with other optical techniques, particularly microscopy, means that they are highly appropriate to lab-on-chip systems to enable optical manipulation, actuation and sensing.