Novel uses of spatial light modulators in optical tweezers

In recent years spatial light modulators (SLMs) have become an integral part of many optical trapping experiments. Yet their usefulness, which stems from their flexibility, is often under exploited. In this thesis I seek to demonstrate how it is possible to expand the range of optical trapping applications that may benefit from the use of spatial light modulators. From exploring the benefits of increased resolution to demonstrating novel applications like position clamping and polarization control, I show how SLMs are a resource which can benefit optical trapping in new and unconventional ways. The optical properties of liquid crystals have long been known however it is only recently that they have been applied to optical tweezers. The physics and operation of spatial light modulators are discussed in chapter 1, with specific attention paid to those aspects of operation which are of pertinent practical use to optical trapping. In chapter 2 it is shown how phase only modulation can be used to create effective holographic optical tweezers systems which are capable of manipulating micron scale particles and measuring pico-Newton forces. Chapter 3 charts the development and characterization of a 4 Mega-pixel spatial light modulator which was created as an improvement on current SLM technology. The role of SLMs in utilising lights angular momentum as a tool for creating rotational torque is discussed in chapter 4. In chapter 5 describes how SLMs can be used to create torques based the application of spin angular momentum to birefringent particles. We show, in chapter 6 how with suitable software engineering it is possible to both move optical traps and track particles in real time. Since the use of SLMs has been previously been limited by their bandwidth constraints we discuss in chapter 7 the use spatial light modulators in closed loop systems. We finish with a discussion of the use of SLMs in a new technique that may be applied to microrheology

Optimizing beams with transverse vortices

It is widely known that beams that have optical vortices along the direction of propagation can be easily created in the laboratory. However, it is less well known that it is possible to create beams that have vortices transversely through the beam waist. Despite much work on beams with parabolic trajectories the creation of beams with transverse vortices are not well understood. Recently such beams have been created in the laboratory with computer-generated holograms. Though such beams can be created relatively easily, optimization of the vortex structure requires generation of the correct kinoform for the optical system. Imprecise application of such kinoforms can generate multiple vortices at the beam focus, which may not be optimal in many experimental applications. In this paper, we discuss the properties of such beams and investigate the optimal geometry for creating beams with transverse vortices. Applications for beams with transverse vortices may exist in optical micromanipulation, quantum communications and microscopy

Optical tweezers for precise control of micro-bubble arrays: In situ temperature measurement

We use highly a focused laser beam incident on a carbon coated coverslip to create microcavitation. Full optical control of the radii of the bubbles is attained. Multiple bubbles can also be created and their size changed independently. The dynamics of such multi-bubble systems are studied. These bubble systems generate strong flows such as Marangoni convection and also large thermal gradients. Since the size of the micro-bubbles is highly dependent on the temperature, we anticipate that these systems can be used for precise temperature control of samples. These methods are of use when the knowledge of exact and local temperature profiles are of importance. Furthermore, since bubble expansion can generate orders of magnitude more force than conventional optical tweezers, systems have application in manipulation of particles where large forces are required. We present methods based on optical tweezers for using the generated bubbles as thermal sensors and as opto-mechanical transducers

Optical tweezers: wideband microrheology

Microrheology is a branch of rheology having the same principles as conventional bulk rheology, but working on micron length scales and micro-litre volumes. Optical tweezers have been successfully used with Newtonian fluids for rheological purposes such as determining fluid viscosity. Conversely, when optical tweezers are used to measure the viscoelastic properties of complex fluids the results are either limited to the material's high-frequency response, discarding important information related to the low-frequency behavior, or they are supplemented by low-frequency measurements performed with different techniques, often without presenting an overlapping region of clear agreement between the sets of results. We present a simple experimental procedure to perform microrheological measurements over the widest frequency range possible with optical tweezers. A generalised Langevin equation is used to relate the frequency-dependent moduli of the complex fluid to the time-dependent trajectory of a probe particle as it flips between two optical traps that alternately switch on and off.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figures, submitted to Special Issue of the Journal of Optic

Viscoelasticity Measurements inside Liposomes

Microrheology, the study of the behavior of fluids on the microscopic scale, has been and continues to be one of the most important subjects that can be applied to characterize the behavior of biological fluids. It is extremely difficult to make rapid measurement of the viscoelastic properties of the interior of living cells. Liposomes are widely used as model system for studying different aspects of cell biology. We propose to develop a microrheometer, based on real-time control of optical tweezers, in order to investigate the viscoelastic properties of the fluid inside liposomes. This will give greater understanding of the viscoelastic properties of the fluids inside cells. In our experiment, the liposomes are prepared by different methods to find out both a better way to make GUVs and achieve efficient encapsulation of particle. By rotating the vaterite inside a liposome via spin angular momentum, the optical torque can be measured by measuring the change of polarization of the transmitted light, which allows the direct measurement of viscous drag torque since the optical torque is balanced by the viscous drag. We present an initial feasibility demonstration of trapping and manipulation of a microscopic vaterite inside the liposome. The applied method is simple and can be extended to sensing within the living cells

The difficulty of measuring orbital angular momentum

Light can carry angular momentum as well as energy and momentum; the transfer of this angular momentum to an object results in an optical torque. The development of a rotational analogue to the force measurement capability of optical tweezers is hampered by the difficulty of optical measurement of orbital angular momentum. We present an experiment with encouraging results, but emphasise the difficulty of the task

DNA damage induced during mitosis undergoes DNA repair synthesis.

Understanding the mitotic DNA damage response (DDR) is critical to our comprehension of cancer, premature aging and developmental disorders which are marked by DNA repair deficiencies. In this study we use a micro-focused laser to induce DNA damage in selected mitotic chromosomes to study the subsequent repair response. Our findings demonstrate that (1) mitotic cells are capable of DNA repair as evidenced by DNA synthesis at damage sites, (2) Repair is attenuated when DNA-PKcs and ATM are simultaneously compromised, (3) Laser damage may permit the observation of previously undetected DDR proteins when damage is elicited by other methods in mitosis, and (4) Twenty five percent of mitotic DNA-damaged cells undergo a subsequent mitosis. Together these findings suggest that mitotic DDR is more complex than previously thought and may involve factors from multiple repair pathways that are better understood in interphase

Independent polarisation control of multiple optical traps

We present a system which uses a single spatial light modulator to control the spin angular momentum of multiple optical traps. These traps may be independently controlled both in terms of spatial location and in terms of their spin angular momentum content. The system relies on a spatial light modulator used in a "split-screen" configuration to generate beams of orthogonal polarisation states which are subsequently combined at a polarising beam splitter. Defining the phase difference between the beams with the spatial light modulator enables control of the polarisation state of the light. We demonstrate the functionality of the system by controlling the rotation and orientation of birefringent vaterite crystals within holographic optical tweezers

Optical force-induced nonlinearity and self-guiding of light in human red blood cell suspensions

Osmotic conditions play an important role in the cell properties of human red blood cells (RBCs), which are crucial for the pathological analysis of some blood diseases such as malaria. Over the past decades, numerous efforts have mainly focused on the study of the RBC biomechanical properties that arise from the unique deformability of erythrocytes. Here, we demonstrate nonlinear optical effects from human RBCs suspended in different osmotic solutions. Specifically, we observe self-trapping and scattering-resistant nonlinear propagation of a laser beam through RBC suspensions under all three osmotic conditions, where the strength of the optical nonlinearity increases with osmotic pressure on the cells. This tunable nonlinearity is attributed to optical forces, particularly the forward scattering and gradient forces. Interestingly, in aged blood samples (with lysed cells), a notably different nonlinear behavior is observed due to the presence of free hemoglobin. We use a theoretical model with an optical force-mediated nonlocal nonlinearity to explain the experimental observations. Our work on light self-guiding through scattering bio-soft-matter may introduce new photonic tools for noninvasive biomedical imaging and medical diagnosis.Comment: 20 Pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in Light, Science & Applicatio