Patent · US Expired

Apparatus for using optical tweezers to manipulate materials

US6846084B2 · kind B2 · utility

10Cited by
10References
6Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 22, 2003
Grant dateJan 25, 2005
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 22, 2023

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG02B27/425
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method and apparatus for control of optical trap arrays and formation of particle arrays using light that is in the visible portion of the spectrum. The method and apparatus provides a laser and a time variable diffractive optical element to allow dynamic control of optical trap arrays and consequent control of particle arrays and also the ability to manipulate singular objects using a plurality of optical traps. By avoiding wavelengths associated with strong absorption in the underlying material, creating optical traps with a continuous-wave laser, optimizing the efficiency of individual traps, and trapping extended samples at multiple points, the rate of deleterious nonlinear optical processes can be minimized.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.