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Optical Trap Loading of Dielectric Microparticles In Air
Published on: February 5, 2017
Trapping solid aerosols with optical tweezers: a comparison between gas and liquid phase optical traps
M D Summers1, D R Burnham, D McGloin
1SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St. Andrews, North Haugh, St. Andrews, KY16 9SS, UK.
Abstract:
We demonstrate a method for the optical trapping of solid aerosol particles. Suspension of silica particles in ethanol allows their delivery to the trapping volume using a commercial medical nebulizer. The ethanol quickly evaporates, leaving the solid particles trapped in air. We use the technique to make comparisons between aerosol and colloid tweezing through power spectra analysis of the particle's positions fluctuations for identical particles trapped in a water or air suspending medium.
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