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Optical 'tweezers' combine with X-rays to enable analysis of crystals in liquids

Researchers developed a new technique combining optical tweezers with high-powered X-rays to position and manipulate crystals in solution. This allowed them to observe reactions as they occurred, revealing sub-nanometer scale defects and grain boundaries within the ZnO microcrystal.

SourceDOE/Argonne National Laboratory·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateMar 22, 2019

Using sound to independently levitate a range of objects is achieved for the first time

Scientists develop acoustic tweezers capable of independently levitating a range of small-sized objects using sound waves. This technology offers several advantages over optical tweezers, including the ability to penetrate biological tissue safely and non-invasively, making it ideal for cell manipulation applications.

SourceElhuyar Fundazioa·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateDec 19, 2018

New discovery improves use of optical tweezers

Researchers from the University of Gothenburg have developed a new method to improve the use of optical tweezers, allowing for more accurate measurements with less data and faster processing. This breakthrough enables the technique to be used in pharmaceutical research and study systems that are not in equilibrium.

SourceUniversity of Gothenburg·JournalNature Communications·DateDec 13, 2018
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Shedding a new light on optical trapping and tweezing

Wits physicists have developed a new device for manipulating and moving tiny objects, such as single cells in a human body or tiny particles in small volume chemistry, using the full beam of laser light. The device uses vector holographic trapping and tweezing to control and manipulate minute objects with high precision.

SourceUniversity of the Witwatersrand·JournalScientific Reports·DateNov 27, 2018

RIT collaborates on multi-university research exploring the quantum world

A Rochester Institute of Technology researcher is collaborating on a multi-university project exploring quantum science in levitated mechanical systems. The project aims to create and sustain a quantum state with levitated optomechanics using advanced sensing designs based on the 'optical tweezers' technique.

SourceRochester Institute of Technology·DateNov 2, 2018

Optical tweezers steer a chemical reaction from just 2 atoms

Scientists have successfully trapped and manipulated two individual sodium and cesium atoms using optical tweezers, resulting in the creation of a new sodium-cesium molecule. This technique enables precise control over chemical reactions, paving the way for studying complex molecules and designer molecules for quantum applications.

SourceAmerican Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)·JournalScience·DateApr 12, 2018
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UQ study shines a light to understand the body's balance system

A University of Queensland team has made a breakthrough in understanding the vestibular system, which controls balance and movement. Using optical tweezers, they were able to activate the vestibular system without the animal moving, allowing for the study of neural circuits in the brain that mediate vestibular perception.

SourceUniversity of Queensland·JournalNature Communications·DateOct 5, 2017

2+1 is not always 3

Researchers measured critical Casimir forces with two and three particles to demonstrate nonadditivity and show that these forces are crucial for designing micro-machines. The study used colloids immersed in fluid and optical tweezers to measure the effects of many-body interaction.

SourceInternational School of Advanced Studies (SISSA)·JournalNature Communications·DateApr 21, 2016

To touch the microcosmos

Researchers have developed a new technique called haptic optical tweezers, enabling scientists to 'feel' the microscopic structures under the lens. This technology allows users to explore the microworld by sensing and exerting piconewton-scale forces with trapped microspheres.

SourceAmerican Institute of Physics·JournalReview of Scientific Instruments·DateSep 13, 2013
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Elucidating energy shifts in optical tweezers

Physicists develop a guide to calculate energy level changes in atoms under optical tweezers' influence. Fictitious magnetic fields are shown to produce equivalent effects as real external fields.

SourceSpringer·JournalThe European Physical Journal D·DateMay 8, 2013

New optical tweezers trap specimens just a few nanometers across

Researchers at Stanford University School of Engineering have designed a novel light aperture that can stably trap objects as small as 2 nanometers using plasmonic technology. The device uses a silver and silicon dioxide structure to focus light and create a powerful, concentrated beam that can trap tiny particles.

SourceStanford University School of Engineering·JournalNano Letters·DateDec 4, 2012
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Newly demonstrated capabilities of low-powered nanotweezers may benefit cellular-level studies

Scientists at the University of Illinois have developed a new technique for manipulating nanoparticles using low-power optical nanotweezers. The method, which operates at average power levels 100x lower than standard laser pointers, enables precise trapping and probing of fragile biological samples.

SourceUniversity of Illinois Grainger College of Engineering·JournalScientific Reports·DateSep 17, 2012

Optical nanoantennas enable efficient multipurpose particle manipulation

Researchers at University of Illinois have demonstrated the use of arrays of gold Bowtie Nanoantenna Arrays for multipurpose optical trapping and manipulation of submicrometer- to micrometer-sized objects. This enables highly efficient, optical tweezers with low-input power densities, useful for optofluidic applications and manipulatin...

SourceUniversity of Illinois Grainger College of Engineering·JournalNano Letters·DateJan 12, 2012

Are electron tweezers possible? Apparently so

Researchers from NIST and UVA successfully demonstrated the use of electron tweezers to move, position and assemble tiny particles at the nanoscale. Electron tweezers have the potential to offer a thousand-fold improvement in sensitivity and resolution compared to traditional laser optical tweezers.

SourceNational Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)·JournalUltramicroscopy·DateNov 9, 2011
Sky & Telescope Pocket Sky Atlas, 2nd Edition

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'Next-generation' optical tweezers trap tightly without overheating

Researchers at Harvard University have developed a new device that can trap tightly and efficiently, eliminating the problem of overheating in traditional optical tweezers. The new plasmonic nanotweezers use light from a laser to create strong forces on nanoscale particles.

SourceHarvard University·JournalNature Communications·DateSep 26, 2011

Optical tweezers software now available for the iPad

Researchers have developed an iPad application for optical tweezers, overcoming limitations of computer mouse control. The multi-touch-based app allows for clear representation of particle systems and offers various techniques for movement.

SourceIOP Publishing·JournalJournal of Optics·DateMar 3, 2011

Intracellular express -- why transport protein molecules have brakes

Researchers at TUM and LMU investigate kinesin-2, a fast motor protein that transports cellular cargoes along microtubules. They find that KLP11 has an autoinhibition mechanism that allows it to control its speed and function in the cell.

SourceTechnical University of Munich (TUM)·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateMay 21, 2010
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Acoustic tweezers can position tiny objects

Researchers have developed acoustic tweezers that can position single cells or nanosized beads using sound waves, allowing for efficient manipulation without damaging live cells. The technology has significant advantages over existing methods in terms of versatility, miniaturization, and power consumption.

SourcePenn State·JournalLab on a Chip·DateAug 28, 2009

Liquid lens creates tiny flexible laser on a chip

Researchers create Liquid-Gradient Refractive Index (L-GRIN) lenses using water and calcium chloride, enabling precise control over light direction. These fluidic lenses can be fabricated on chips and have potential applications in optical tweezers and medical imaging.

SourcePenn State·JournalLab on a Chip·DateMay 11, 2009

DNA sewing machine

Researchers develop unique method to sew long DNA threads into shape using micron-sized hooks controlled by lasers, allowing for high-spatial resolution gene location detection. The technology has potential applications in DNA sequencing and molecular electronics.

SourceRoyal Society of Chemistry·JournalLab on a Chip·DateJul 10, 2008
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Engineers demonstrate a new type of optical tweezer

Engineers at Harvard University have developed a novel optical tweezer that can perform calibrated force measurements with high precision. The device, consisting of a Fresnel Zone Plate fabricated on a glass slide, has the potential to revolutionize biological and microfluidic applications.

SourceHarvard University·JournalApplied Physics Letters·DateFeb 25, 2008

Media highlights in the Dec. 15 issue of Biophysical Journal

Researchers explore how heart muscle adjusts contractions based on protein spacing and DNA elasticity, revealing new insights into cellular control and potential applications for measuring picoscale forces. The studies also provide a more accurate model for single-molecule research.

SourceBiophysical Society·JournalBiophysical Journal·DateDec 7, 2007

MIT develops 'tractor beam' for cells, more

Researchers at MIT have successfully applied the concept of optical tweezers to manipulate and measure tiny objects on a microchip. Using infrared light, they were able to hold and move individual cells and other objects with unprecedented precision, opening up new possibilities for biological research and materials development.

SourceMassachusetts Institute of Technology·JournalLab on a Chip·DateOct 30, 2007

Optical tweezers prove Einstein right

Researchers have successfully measured the back-flow effect in Brownian motion, a phenomenon Einstein predicted but overlooked 100 years ago. The discovery uses optical tweezers technology to detect this effect, confirming a key aspect of Brownian motion theory.

SourceIOP Publishing·JournalNew Journal of Physics·DateJan 31, 2005
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Teasing apart the molecules of life

Researchers devise new method combining optical trapping and single-molecule fluorescence to study DNA structural and mechanical changes. This technique allows scientists to study rare molecules essential for life and disease development.

SourceBMC (BioMed Central)·JournalJournal of Biology·DateFeb 24, 2003