Optical trapping and laser tweezers

Chemical characteristics, structure and dynamics of droplets or particles. The instruments employing this technique are:

Overview of the technique

The capture of microscopic particles with laser light can be performed with laser tweezers, single laser beams using high numerical aperture objectives, or with optical trapping, lower numerical aperture optics where another force is present such as gravity, an interface or an opposing laser. We offer both trapping techniques and combine these with other imaging techniques to meet experimental requirements.

Applications

Applications of optical trapping and laser tweezers include:

  • colloid and interface science
  • medical research: inhalers
  • atmospheric chemistry: environmental aerosols
  • aerosol science
  • material science
  • plant cell studies: organelle interactions
  • catalysis