Optical tweezing and micromanipulation.

Abstract

Over the last 30 years, the ability to perform controlled manipulation of microscopic particles using only light, has become a prevalent technique. Many new and existing fields have benefited from the versatility that is offered by optical tweezers. This dissertation provides a theoretical description of the interaction of light with microscopic matter within an optical tweezer. An experimental investigation into the construction of an optical tweezer is described in detail, along with experimental results verifying the assembly of a fully functional and calibrated optical tweezer. The use of novel beam shapes including Bessel-Gauss, Laguerre-Gauss and super-Gaussian beams are applied to the tweezing setup, demonstrating additional manipulation methods. The procedures for generating each beam shape are discussed, together with the specific properties of the beam that provide further value to optical tweezing.