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Optical Conveyors: A Class of Active Tractor Beams

David B. Ruffner and David G. Grier
Phys. Rev. Lett. 109, 163903 – Published 18 October 2012
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Abstract

We experimentally demonstrate a class of tractor beams created by coherently superposing coaxial Bessel beams. These optical conveyors have periodic intensity variations along their axes that act as highly effective optical traps for micrometer-scale objects. Trapped objects can be moved selectively upstream or downstream along the conveyor by appropriately changing the Bessel beams’ relative phase. The same methods used to project a single optical conveyor can project arrays of independent optical conveyors, allowing bidirectional transport in three dimensions.

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  • Received 16 August 2012

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.109.163903

© 2012 American Physical Society

Synopsis

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Tiny Tractor Beam

Published 18 October 2012

A carefully prepared light beam can either push or pull tiny particles, like the much larger tractor beams of science fiction.

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Authors & Affiliations

David B. Ruffner and David G. Grier

  • Department of Physics and Center for Soft Matter Research, New York University, New York, New York 10003, USA

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Issue

Vol. 109, Iss. 16 — 19 October 2012

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