In the last years many new applications of the optical tweezers (OT) technique were proposed, most of them exploring beams with intensity profiles very different from the traditional Gaussian (TEM00) beams and/or the optical properties of new materials that are 'non-usual' for the optical trapping community such as topological insulators, semiconductors and superparamagnetic particles. Most of these applications are based on the principle that the effective characteristics of the optical trapping and manipulation of micro- and nanoparticles can be strongly modulated for specific purposes by exploring the optical properties of the chosen materials and/or the light intensity distribution of the laser profile, such that one can change the effective forces acting on the particles, opening the door new applications, instrumentation and the development of new devices.
This book intends to describe and review the extension of optical trapping and manipulation approaches to new materials beyond the classical dielectric beads usually employed in the field. Exploring the different optical properties of materials such as metals, semiconductors, topological insulators, quantum dots and others can lead to new applications of optical tweezers using these materials as handles to manipulate the systems of interest, allowing the investigation of physical / chemical and biological phenomena that cannot be accessed by other ways.
Autorentext
T. A. Moura Graduated (2015), Master's (2017) and PhD (2022) in physics from the Federal University of Viçosa (Brazil). Since 2017 he has been studying the interaction and manipulation of semiconductor materials with the optical tweezers technique. Currently, he is a postdoctoral fellow of the Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), working at the Federal Univ. of Viçosa under the supervision of J. B. S. Mendes and M. S. Rocha.
Joaquim Bonfim Santos Mendes holds a master's degree in Physics from the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE - 2009) and a PhD in Physics from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ - 2013). Post-doc in the Physics Department of UFPE (2014). Since 2014 he has been a professor at the Physics Department at the Federal University of Viçosa (UFV) in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Director of the Physics Department at UFV from 2019 to 2023. He has experience in Experimental Physics, with emphasis on Condensed Matter Physics, Materials Science, Magnetic Materials and Magnetic Properties, working mainly on the following topics: Nanomagnetism and spintronics, ferromagnetic resonance, spin dynamics, quantum materials, optical manipulation of micro-systems, synthesis of nano and microparticles, fabrication of thin films and multilayers, etc.
Márcio S. Rocha graduated in Physics from the Federal University of Ceará (2001), Master's (2004) and PhD (2008) in Physics from the Federal University of Minas Gerais, both Brazilian institutions. Since 2008 he has been a professor (permanent position) at the Physics Department at the Federal University of Viçosa (UFV) in Minas Gerais, Brazil, becoming a Full Professor in December 2024. He was the coordinator of the Graduate Program in Physics at UFV from 2017 to 2022. He has high experience with Experimental Physics, with emphasis on the fields of "Biological Physics'', "Optics Applied to Biological Systems'' and "Optical Manipulation of Micro-systems''. Head of the Biological Physics Laboratory at UFV, implemented by the researcher at this institution in 2008-2010. Director of the Nanoscopy Research Center of UFV (2024 - present). Lab website: http://www.lfb.ufv.br.