Fabrication and Operation of a Nano-Optical Conveyor Belt

摘要: The technique of using focused laser beams to trap and exert forces on small particles has enabled many pivotal discoveries in the nanoscale biological physical sciences over past few decades. progress made this field invites further study even smaller systems at a larger scale, with tools that could be distributed more easily widely available. Unfortunately, fundamental laws diffraction limit minimum size focal spot beam, which makes than half-wavelength diameter hard generally prevents an operator from discriminating between are closer together one half-wavelength. This precludes optical manipulation closely-spaced nanoparticles limits resolution optical-mechanical systems. Furthermore, requires beam-forming or steering optics, can very bulky expensive. To address these limitations system scalability conventional trapping our lab devised alternative utilizes near-field optics move across chip. Instead focusing far-field, near plasmonic resonators produces necessary local intensity enhancement overcome restrictions manipulate higher resolution. Closely-spaced produce strong traps addressed mediate hand-off next conveyor-belt-like fashion. Here, we describe how design conveyor belt gold surface patterned C-shaped operate it polarized light achieve super-resolution nanoparticle transport. nano-optical chip produced lithography techniques packaged distributed.