title: Luminescent nanoparticle trapping with far-field optical fiber-tip tweezers.
abstract: We report stable and reproducible trapping of luminescent dielectric YAG:Ce(3+) nanoparticles with sizes down to 60 nm using far-field dual fiber tip optical tweezers. The particles are synthesized by a specific glycothermal route followed by an original protected annealing step, resulting in significantly enhanced photostability. The tweezers properties are analyzed by studying the trapped particles residual Brownian motion using video or reflected signal records. The trapping potential is harmonic in the transverse direction to the fiber axis, but reveals interference fringes in the axial direction. Large trapping stiffness of 35 and 2 pN μm(-1) W(-1) is measured for a fiber tip-to-tip distance of 3 μm and 300 nm and 60 nm particles, respectively. The forces acting on the nanoparticles are discussed within the dipolar approximation (gradient and scattering force contributions) or exact calculations using the Maxwell Stress Tensor formalism. Prospects for trapping even smaller particles are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inst NEEL, 38000 Grenoble, France. jochen.fick@neel.grenoble.cnrs and CNRS, Inst NEEL, 38000 Grenoble, France.
authors.forename: Jean-Baptiste
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Decombe
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire Carnot de Bourgogne (ICB), UMR 6303 CNRS-Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 21078 Dijon, France.
authors.forename: Francisco J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Valdivia-Valero
authors.affiliation: Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inst NEEL, 38000 Grenoble, France. jochen.fick@neel.grenoble.cnrs and CNRS, Inst NEEL, 38000 Grenoble, France.
authors.forename: Géraldine
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dantelle
authors.affiliation: Physique de la Matière Condensée, CNRS UMR 7643, Ecole Polytechnique, 91128 Palaiseau, France.
authors.forename: Godefroy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Leménager
authors.affiliation: Physique de la Matière Condensée, CNRS UMR 7643, Ecole Polytechnique, 91128 Palaiseau, France.
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gacoin
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire Carnot de Bourgogne (ICB), UMR 6303 CNRS-Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 21078 Dijon, France.
authors.forename: Gérard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Colas des Francs
authors.affiliation: Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inst NEEL, 38000 Grenoble, France. jochen.fick@neel.grenoble.cnrs and CNRS, Inst NEEL, 38000 Grenoble, France.
authors.forename: Serge
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Huant
authors.affiliation: Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inst NEEL, 38000 Grenoble, France. jochen.fick@neel.grenoble.cnrs and CNRS, Inst NEEL, 38000 Grenoble, France.
authors.forename: Jochen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fick