Size tunable three-dimensional annular laser trap based on axicons.
A three-dimensional (3D) ring-shaped laser trap has been built using axicons. The diameter of this laser trap ranges from 70 to 140 mum and is adjusted by simply changing the position of one axicon in the optical path. Parallel 3D trapping of 5 mum silica microspheres and 3D confinement of cells along the ring are demonstrated. In this system the special optical properties of axicons are used to create a continuous annular trap with high power efficiency and a constant numerical aperture. This new approach, without any mechanical scanning, offers significant potential for applications in cell motility analysis and biotropism studies.
Shao
Bing
B
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA. bshao@soliton.ucsd.edu
Esener
Sadik C
SC
Nascimento
Jaclyn M
JM
Berns
Michael W
MW
Botvinick
Elliot L
EL
Ozkan
Mihrimah
M
D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D007834:Lasers; D008846:Micromanipulation / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D013314:Stress, Mechanical