A Study on the Use of Optical Tweezers for Manipulating Microscopic Particles and Their Applications in Materials Science

Abstract

Optical tweezers take advantage of the forces exerted by highly focused laser beams, a tool which has revolutionized the manipulation of microscopic particles. Besides their original application in biology, optical tweezers have found deep utility in materials science, allowing for contact-free and rather precise manipulation of particles at both the microscopic and nanoscale level. The present review explains the basic working of optical tweezers, consideration of the forces involved in particle trapping, such as gradient and scattering forces, and the technological advances that have further improved performance over time. We investigate different uses, ranging from the manipulation of nanoparticles for fabricating tailored nanostructures to investigating nano-bio interactions at the molecular level, to precision assembly in micro- and nanoscale.