Gradient-Field Sorting of Microparticles

The method of spatial sorting of different types of microparticles in a liquid with the aid of a gradient laser field has been proposed and implemented. The method is based on linear scanning of the interference fringes of the field imposed on a suspension. It is shown theoretically that at given parameters of the particles and field it is possible to select such a rate of scanning of interference fringes at which only the particles of one species will be captured and carried in the wake of the field, while others are left in place. The efficiency of the proposed method of selection of particles is confirmed experimentally with an example of a water suspension of polymeric small balls of diameter 5.8 and 10 m illuminated by interference fringes of He–Ne laser radiation ( = 632.8 nm). The implemented method of control of microparticles can find application in physics, biology, medicine, microtechnology, and also in a number of other fields.