Sorting Metal Nanoparticles with Dynamic and Tunable Optical Driven Forces

Precise sorting of colloidal nanoparticles is a challenging yet necessary task for size-specific applications of nanoparticles in nanophotonics and biochemistry. Here we present a new strategy for all-optical sorting of metal nanoparticles with dynamic and tunable optical driven forces generated by phase gradients of light. Size-dependent optical forces arising from the phase gradients of optical line traps can drive nanoparticles of different sizes with different velocities in solution, leading to their separation along the line traps. By using a sequential combination of optical lines to create differential trapping potentials, we realize precise sorting of silver and gold nanoparticles in the diameter range of 70–150 nm with a resolution down to 10 nm. Separation of the nanoparticles agrees with the analysis of optical forces acting on them and with simulations of their kinetic motions. The results provide new insights into all-optical nanoparticle manipulation and separation and reveal that there is still room to sort smaller nanoparticle with nanometer precision using dynamic phase-gradient forces

Probing Spatiotemporal Stability of Optical Matter by Polarization Modulation

Light-driven self-organization of plasmonic nanoparticles via optical binding interactions offers a unique route to assemble mesoscale photonic clusters and chains. However, stability becomes an issue when more nanoparticles are added into the clusters and chains, since the theoretical optical binding strength is inhomogeneous and anisotropic in optical matter systems. Here we study the spatiotemporal stability of optical matter chains self-organized by two to eight ultrauniform gold nanospheres in a linearly polarized optical line trap. Perturbations are introduced into the nanosphere chains by periodically switching the polarization to be either parallel or perpendicular to the orientation of the chains, where the spatial and temporal variation of optical binding strength has been revealed. In addition, we found that the average oscillation amplitude and stability of the particles can be tuned by the frequency of polarization modulation. These results demonstrate a new way to study and improve the stability of optical matter and provide a promising strategy in engineering optical forces at the mesoscale

Sorting Metal Nanoparticles with Dynamic and Tunable Optical Driven Forces

Precise sorting of colloidal nanoparticles is a challenging yet necessary task for size-specific applications of nanoparticles in nanophotonics and biochemistry. Here we present a new strategy for all-optical sorting of metal nanoparticles with dynamic and tunable optical driven forces generated by phase gradients of light. Size-dependent optical forces arising from the phase gradients of optical line traps can drive nanoparticles of different sizes with different velocities in solution, leading to their separation along the line traps. By using a sequential combination of optical lines to create differential trapping potentials, we realize precise sorting of silver and gold nanoparticles in the diameter range of 70–150 nm with a resolution down to 10 nm. Separation of the nanoparticles agrees with the analysis of optical forces acting on them and with simulations of their kinetic motions. The results provide new insights into all-optical nanoparticle manipulation and separation and reveal that there is still room to sort smaller nanoparticle with nanometer precision using dynamic phase-gradient forces

Sorting Metal Nanoparticles with Dynamic and Tunable Optical Driven Forces

Precise sorting of colloidal nanoparticles is a challenging yet necessary task for size-specific applications of nanoparticles in nanophotonics and biochemistry. Here we present a new strategy for all-optical sorting of metal nanoparticles with dynamic and tunable optical driven forces generated by phase gradients of light. Size-dependent optical forces arising from the phase gradients of optical line traps can drive nanoparticles of different sizes with different velocities in solution, leading to their separation along the line traps. By using a sequential combination of optical lines to create differential trapping potentials, we realize precise sorting of silver and gold nanoparticles in the diameter range of 70–150 nm with a resolution down to 10 nm. Separation of the nanoparticles agrees with the analysis of optical forces acting on them and with simulations of their kinetic motions. The results provide new insights into all-optical nanoparticle manipulation and separation and reveal that there is still room to sort smaller nanoparticle with nanometer precision using dynamic phase-gradient forces

Sorting Metal Nanoparticles with Dynamic and Tunable Optical Driven Forces

Precise sorting of colloidal nanoparticles is a challenging yet necessary task for size-specific applications of nanoparticles in nanophotonics and biochemistry. Here we present a new strategy for all-optical sorting of metal nanoparticles with dynamic and tunable optical driven forces generated by phase gradients of light. Size-dependent optical forces arising from the phase gradients of optical line traps can drive nanoparticles of different sizes with different velocities in solution, leading to their separation along the line traps. By using a sequential combination of optical lines to create differential trapping potentials, we realize precise sorting of silver and gold nanoparticles in the diameter range of 70–150 nm with a resolution down to 10 nm. Separation of the nanoparticles agrees with the analysis of optical forces acting on them and with simulations of their kinetic motions. The results provide new insights into all-optical nanoparticle manipulation and separation and reveal that there is still room to sort smaller nanoparticle with nanometer precision using dynamic phase-gradient forces

Sorting Metal Nanoparticles with Dynamic and Tunable Optical Driven Forces

Precise sorting of colloidal nanoparticles is a challenging yet necessary task for size-specific applications of nanoparticles in nanophotonics and biochemistry. Here we present a new strategy for all-optical sorting of metal nanoparticles with dynamic and tunable optical driven forces generated by phase gradients of light. Size-dependent optical forces arising from the phase gradients of optical line traps can drive nanoparticles of different sizes with different velocities in solution, leading to their separation along the line traps. By using a sequential combination of optical lines to create differential trapping potentials, we realize precise sorting of silver and gold nanoparticles in the diameter range of 70–150 nm with a resolution down to 10 nm. Separation of the nanoparticles agrees with the analysis of optical forces acting on them and with simulations of their kinetic motions. The results provide new insights into all-optical nanoparticle manipulation and separation and reveal that there is still room to sort smaller nanoparticle with nanometer precision using dynamic phase-gradient forces

Sorting Metal Nanoparticles with Dynamic and Tunable Optical Driven Forces

Precise sorting of colloidal nanoparticles is a challenging yet necessary task for size-specific applications of nanoparticles in nanophotonics and biochemistry. Here we present a new strategy for all-optical sorting of metal nanoparticles with dynamic and tunable optical driven forces generated by phase gradients of light. Size-dependent optical forces arising from the phase gradients of optical line traps can drive nanoparticles of different sizes with different velocities in solution, leading to their separation along the line traps. By using a sequential combination of optical lines to create differential trapping potentials, we realize precise sorting of silver and gold nanoparticles in the diameter range of 70–150 nm with a resolution down to 10 nm. Separation of the nanoparticles agrees with the analysis of optical forces acting on them and with simulations of their kinetic motions. The results provide new insights into all-optical nanoparticle manipulation and separation and reveal that there is still room to sort smaller nanoparticle with nanometer precision using dynamic phase-gradient forces

Sorting Metal Nanoparticles with Dynamic and Tunable Optical Driven Forces

Precise sorting of colloidal nanoparticles is a challenging yet necessary task for size-specific applications of nanoparticles in nanophotonics and biochemistry. Here we present a new strategy for all-optical sorting of metal nanoparticles with dynamic and tunable optical driven forces generated by phase gradients of light. Size-dependent optical forces arising from the phase gradients of optical line traps can drive nanoparticles of different sizes with different velocities in solution, leading to their separation along the line traps. By using a sequential combination of optical lines to create differential trapping potentials, we realize precise sorting of silver and gold nanoparticles in the diameter range of 70–150 nm with a resolution down to 10 nm. Separation of the nanoparticles agrees with the analysis of optical forces acting on them and with simulations of their kinetic motions. The results provide new insights into all-optical nanoparticle manipulation and separation and reveal that there is still room to sort smaller nanoparticle with nanometer precision using dynamic phase-gradient forces

Probing Spatiotemporal Stability of Optical Matter by Polarization Modulation

Light-driven self-organization of plasmonic nanoparticles via optical binding interactions offers a unique route to assemble mesoscale photonic clusters and chains. However, stability becomes an issue when more nanoparticles are added into the clusters and chains, since the theoretical optical binding strength is inhomogeneous and anisotropic in optical matter systems. Here we study the spatiotemporal stability of optical matter chains self-organized by two to eight ultrauniform gold nanospheres in a linearly polarized optical line trap. Perturbations are introduced into the nanosphere chains by periodically switching the polarization to be either parallel or perpendicular to the orientation of the chains, where the spatial and temporal variation of optical binding strength has been revealed. In addition, we found that the average oscillation amplitude and stability of the particles can be tuned by the frequency of polarization modulation. These results demonstrate a new way to study and improve the stability of optical matter and provide a promising strategy in engineering optical forces at the mesoscale

Probing Spatiotemporal Stability of Optical Matter by Polarization Modulation

Light-driven self-organization of plasmonic nanoparticles via optical binding interactions offers a unique route to assemble mesoscale photonic clusters and chains. However, stability becomes an issue when more nanoparticles are added into the clusters and chains, since the theoretical optical binding strength is inhomogeneous and anisotropic in optical matter systems. Here we study the spatiotemporal stability of optical matter chains self-organized by two to eight ultrauniform gold nanospheres in a linearly polarized optical line trap. Perturbations are introduced into the nanosphere chains by periodically switching the polarization to be either parallel or perpendicular to the orientation of the chains, where the spatial and temporal variation of optical binding strength has been revealed. In addition, we found that the average oscillation amplitude and stability of the particles can be tuned by the frequency of polarization modulation. These results demonstrate a new way to study and improve the stability of optical matter and provide a promising strategy in engineering optical forces at the mesoscale