Single-beam three-dimensional optical trapping at extremely low insertion angles via optical fiber optimization

Steven Ross; Mark F. Murphy; Francis Lilley; Michael J. Lalor; David R. Burton

doi:10.1117/1.OE.53.8.085107

21 August 2014 Single-beam three-dimensional optical trapping at extremely low insertion angles via optical fiber optimization

Steven Ross, Mark F. Murphy, Francis Lilley, Michael J. Lalor, David R. Burton

Author Affiliations +

Optical Engineering, Vol. 53, Issue 8, 085107 (August 2014). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.OE.53.8.085107

Abstract

Employing optical fiber to deliver the trapping laser to the sample chamber significantly reduces the size and costs of optical tweezers (OT). The utilization of fiber decouples the OT from the microscope, providing scope for system portability, and the potential for uncomplicated integration with other advanced microscopy systems. For use with an atomic force microscope, the fiber must be inserted at an angle of 10 deg to the plane of the sample chamber floor. However, the literature states that optical trapping with a single fiber inserted at an angle ≤20 deg is not possible. This paper investigates this limitation and proposes a hypothesis that explains it. Based on this explanation, a tapered-fiber optical tweezer system is developed. This system demonstrates that such traps can indeed be made to function in three-dimensions (3-D) at insertion angles of ≤10 deg using relatively low optical powers, provided the fiber taper is optimized. Three such optimized tapered fiber tips are presented, and their ability to optically trap both organic and inanimate material in 3-D is demonstrated. The near-horizontal insertion angle introduced a maximum trapping range (MTR). The MTR of the three tips is determined empirically, evaluated against simulated data, and found to be tunable through taper optimization.

Citation Download Citation

Steven Ross, Mark F. Murphy, Francis Lilley, Michael J. Lalor, and David R. Burton "Single-beam three-dimensional optical trapping at extremely low insertion angles via optical fiber optimization," Optical Engineering 53(8), 085107 (21 August 2014). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.OE.53.8.085107

Published: 21 August 2014

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