Optical tweezers are sophisticated scientific instruments that use highly focused laser beams to manipulate microscopic particles, such as biological cells, viruses, and even small beads or other nanoparticles. The principle behind optical tweezers is based on the interaction of light with matter, specifically the way that photons—particles of light—carry momentum. When a laser beam is focused to a fine point, it creates a gradient of light intensity.
Sample usages:
- quantum computing startup Atom Computing uses them to hold dozens of individual atoms midair separately, to later entangle their nuclei
Optical Tweezers Experiment by Alexis Bishop
. Source. Setup on a optical table. He drags a 1 micron ball of polystyrene immersed in water around with the laser. You look through the microscope and move the stage. Brownian motion is also clearly visible when the laster is not holding the ball. New to topics? Read the docs here!