All-optical manipulation of photonic membranes

Optical tweezers;Membranes (Biology);Microfluidics;Photonics

Kirkpatrick, Blair Connell ; Di Falco, Andrea ; Di Falco, Andrea

University:University of St Andrews

Department:Physics & Astronomy (School of)

关键词: Optical tweezers;    Membranes (Biology);    Microfluidics;    Photonics;   

Others  :  https://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/bitstream/handle/10023/11031/BlairKirkpatrickPhDThesis.pdf?sequence=2&isAllowed=y

来源: DR-NTU

【 摘 要 】

Optical tweezers have allowed us to harness the momentum of light to trap, move, andmanipulate microscopic particles with Angstrom-level precision. Position and force feedbacksystems grant us the ability to feel the microscopic world. As a tool, optical tweezers have allowedus to study a variety of biological systems, from the mechanical properties of red blood cells to thequantised motion of motor-molecules such as kinesin. They have been applied, with similar impact,to the manipulation of gases, atoms, and Bose-Einstein condensates. There are, however, limits totheir applicability. Historically speaking, optical tweezers have only been used to trap relativelysimple structures such as spheres or cylinders.This thesis is concerned with the development of a fabricational and optical manipulationprotocol that allows holographical optical tweezers to trap photonic membranes. Photonic membranesare thin, flexible membranes, that are capable of supporting nanoplasmonic features. Thesefeatures can be patterned to function as metamaterials, granting the photonic membrane the abilityto function as almost any optical device. It is highly desirable to take advantage of these tools in amicrofluidic environment, however, their extreme aspect ratios mean that they are not traditionallycompatible with the primary technology of microfluidic manipulation: optical tweezers.In line with recent developments in optical manipulation, an holistic approach to opticaltrapping is used to overcome these limitations. Full six-degree-of-freedom control over a photonicmembrane is demonstrated through the use of holographical optical tweezers. Furthermore,a photonic membrane (PM)-based surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy sensor is presentedwhich is capable of detecting rhodamine dye from a topologically undulating sample. This workmoves towards marrying these technologies such that photonic membranes, designed for bespokeapplications, can be readily deployed into a microfluidic environment. Extending the range of toolsavailable in the microfluidic setting helps pave the way toward the next set of advances in the fieldof optical manipulation.