Nano-Optical Tweezers: Methods and Applications for Trapping Single Molecules and Nanoparticles |
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Authors: | Joshua D. Kolbow Prof. Nathan C. Lindquist Dr. Christopher T. Ertsgaard Dr. Daehan Yoo Prof. Sang-Hyun Oh |
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Affiliation: | 1. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Minnesota Kenneth H. Keller Hall, 200, Union St SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455 USA;2. Department of Physics and Engineering, Bethel University, 3900 Bethel Drive, St. Paul, MN 55112 USA |
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Abstract: | 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. |
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Keywords: | nanoparticles nanotechnology single-molecule studies Raman spectroscopy scanning probe microscopy |
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