Controlling the Position and Orientation of Single Silver Nanowires on a Surface Using Structured Optical Fields

We demonstrate controlled trapping and manipulation of single silver (Ag) nanowires in two dimensions at a surface using structured light fields generated with a spatial light modulator. The Ag nanowires are attracted toward the regions of maximal optical intensity along the surface when the trapping laser light is linearly polarized and are repelled toward the minima of optical intensity when the light is circularly polarized. For linearly polarized light, stably trapped nanowires are oriented perpendicular to the polarization direction due to a torque induced by an asymmetrical response of the nanowire to the electric field. The attractive interactions with linearly polarized trapping laser light, which is at 800 nm for all measurements, enable stable trapping and translation of Ag nanowires in the antinodes of optical gratings and in zero-order Bessel beams. Trapped nanowires can be positioned and oriented on a transparent dielectric substrate, making possible the nonmechanical assembly of plasmonic nanostructures for particular functions

Controlling the Position and Orientation of Single Silver Nanowires on a Surface Using Structured Optical Fields

We demonstrate controlled trapping and manipulation of single silver (Ag) nanowires in two dimensions at a surface using structured light fields generated with a spatial light modulator. The Ag nanowires are attracted toward the regions of maximal optical intensity along the surface when the trapping laser light is linearly polarized and are repelled toward the minima of optical intensity when the light is circularly polarized. For linearly polarized light, stably trapped nanowires are oriented perpendicular to the polarization direction due to a torque induced by an asymmetrical response of the nanowire to the electric field. The attractive interactions with linearly polarized trapping laser light, which is at 800 nm for all measurements, enable stable trapping and translation of Ag nanowires in the antinodes of optical gratings and in zero-order Bessel beams. Trapped nanowires can be positioned and oriented on a transparent dielectric substrate, making possible the nonmechanical assembly of plasmonic nanostructures for particular functions

Three-Dimensional Optical Trapping and Manipulation of Single Silver Nanowires

We report the first experimental realization of all-optical trapping and manipulation of plasmonic nanowires in three dimensions. The optical beam used for trapping is the Fourier transform of a linearly polarized Bessel beam (termed FT-Bessel). The extended depth of focus of this beam enables the use of a retroreflection geometry to cancel radiation pressure in the beam propagation direction, making it possible to trap highly scattering and absorbing silver nanowires. Individual silver nanowires with lengths of several micrometers can be positioned by the trapping beam with a precision better than 100 nm and are oriented by the polarization of the trapping light with a precision of approximately 1°. Multiple nanowires can be trapped simultaneously in spatially separated maxima of the trapping field. Since trapping in the interferometric FT-Bessel potential is robust in bulk solution and near surfaces, it will enable the controlled assembly of metal nanowires into plasmonic nanostructures

Three-Dimensional Optical Trapping and Manipulation of Single Silver Nanowires

We report the first experimental realization of all-optical trapping and manipulation of plasmonic nanowires in three dimensions. The optical beam used for trapping is the Fourier transform of a linearly polarized Bessel beam (termed FT-Bessel). The extended depth of focus of this beam enables the use of a retroreflection geometry to cancel radiation pressure in the beam propagation direction, making it possible to trap highly scattering and absorbing silver nanowires. Individual silver nanowires with lengths of several micrometers can be positioned by the trapping beam with a precision better than 100 nm and are oriented by the polarization of the trapping light with a precision of approximately 1°. Multiple nanowires can be trapped simultaneously in spatially separated maxima of the trapping field. Since trapping in the interferometric FT-Bessel potential is robust in bulk solution and near surfaces, it will enable the controlled assembly of metal nanowires into plasmonic nanostructures

Controlling the Position and Orientation of Single Silver Nanowires on a Surface Using Structured Optical Fields

We demonstrate controlled trapping and manipulation of single silver (Ag) nanowires in two dimensions at a surface using structured light fields generated with a spatial light modulator. The Ag nanowires are attracted toward the regions of maximal optical intensity along the surface when the trapping laser light is linearly polarized and are repelled toward the minima of optical intensity when the light is circularly polarized. For linearly polarized light, stably trapped nanowires are oriented perpendicular to the polarization direction due to a torque induced by an asymmetrical response of the nanowire to the electric field. The attractive interactions with linearly polarized trapping laser light, which is at 800 nm for all measurements, enable stable trapping and translation of Ag nanowires in the antinodes of optical gratings and in zero-order Bessel beams. Trapped nanowires can be positioned and oriented on a transparent dielectric substrate, making possible the nonmechanical assembly of plasmonic nanostructures for particular functions

Controlling the Position and Orientation of Single Silver Nanowires on a Surface Using Structured Optical Fields

We demonstrate controlled trapping and manipulation of single silver (Ag) nanowires in two dimensions at a surface using structured light fields generated with a spatial light modulator. The Ag nanowires are attracted toward the regions of maximal optical intensity along the surface when the trapping laser light is linearly polarized and are repelled toward the minima of optical intensity when the light is circularly polarized. For linearly polarized light, stably trapped nanowires are oriented perpendicular to the polarization direction due to a torque induced by an asymmetrical response of the nanowire to the electric field. The attractive interactions with linearly polarized trapping laser light, which is at 800 nm for all measurements, enable stable trapping and translation of Ag nanowires in the antinodes of optical gratings and in zero-order Bessel beams. Trapped nanowires can be positioned and oriented on a transparent dielectric substrate, making possible the nonmechanical assembly of plasmonic nanostructures for particular functions

Controlling the Position and Orientation of Single Silver Nanowires on a Surface Using Structured Optical Fields

We demonstrate controlled trapping and manipulation of single silver (Ag) nanowires in two dimensions at a surface using structured light fields generated with a spatial light modulator. The Ag nanowires are attracted toward the regions of maximal optical intensity along the surface when the trapping laser light is linearly polarized and are repelled toward the minima of optical intensity when the light is circularly polarized. For linearly polarized light, stably trapped nanowires are oriented perpendicular to the polarization direction due to a torque induced by an asymmetrical response of the nanowire to the electric field. The attractive interactions with linearly polarized trapping laser light, which is at 800 nm for all measurements, enable stable trapping and translation of Ag nanowires in the antinodes of optical gratings and in zero-order Bessel beams. Trapped nanowires can be positioned and oriented on a transparent dielectric substrate, making possible the nonmechanical assembly of plasmonic nanostructures for particular functions

Three-Dimensional Optical Trapping and Manipulation of Single Silver Nanowires

We report the first experimental realization of all-optical trapping and manipulation of plasmonic nanowires in three dimensions. The optical beam used for trapping is the Fourier transform of a linearly polarized Bessel beam (termed FT-Bessel). The extended depth of focus of this beam enables the use of a retroreflection geometry to cancel radiation pressure in the beam propagation direction, making it possible to trap highly scattering and absorbing silver nanowires. Individual silver nanowires with lengths of several micrometers can be positioned by the trapping beam with a precision better than 100 nm and are oriented by the polarization of the trapping light with a precision of approximately 1°. Multiple nanowires can be trapped simultaneously in spatially separated maxima of the trapping field. Since trapping in the interferometric FT-Bessel potential is robust in bulk solution and near surfaces, it will enable the controlled assembly of metal nanowires into plasmonic nanostructures