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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 6, 2026

Optical Trapping of Nanoparticles
13:39

Optical Trapping of Nanoparticles

Published on: January 15, 2013

27.3K

Optically controlled thermophoretic trapping of single nano-objects.

Marco Braun1, Frank Cichos

  • 1Molecular Nanophotonics Group, Institute of Experimental Physics I, Universität Leipzig , 04103 Leipzig, Germany.

ACS Nano
|November 13, 2013
PubMed
Summary

Researchers demonstrate controlling nano-objects using local temperature fields. This thermophoretic trapping method utilizes optically heated gold nanostructures for precise manipulation of single colloidal particles in solution.

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Area of Science:

  • Physics
  • Nanotechnology
  • Physical Chemistry

Background:

  • Brownian motion is a fundamental physical phenomenon driven by thermal fluctuations.
  • Efficiency of Brownian motion increases with decreasing particle size and elevated temperatures.
  • Controlling nano-objects in solution is crucial for various scientific and technological applications.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the potential of local temperature fields for localizing and controlling single nano-objects.
  • To demonstrate a novel trapping mechanism for colloidal particles in liquid media.
  • To explore the scalability of the proposed trapping method.

Main Methods:

  • Creating strong local temperature gradients in a liquid using optically heated gold nanostructures.

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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 6, 2026

Optical Trapping of Nanoparticles
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Optical Trapping of Nanoparticles

Published on: January 15, 2013

27.3K
Utilization of Plasmonic and Photonic Crystal Nanostructures for Enhanced Micro- and Nanoparticle Manipulation
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Utilization of Plasmonic and Photonic Crystal Nanostructures for Enhanced Micro- and Nanoparticle Manipulation

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Trapping of Micro Particles in Nanoplasmonic Optical Lattice
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  • Utilizing the thermophoretic effect for trapping single colloidal particles.
  • Observing and analyzing the behavior of nano-objects under controlled thermal gradients.

    • Main Results:

    • Successfully trapped single colloidal particles using localized temperature gradients.
    • Demonstrated that thermophoresis, not a restoring body force, is the primary trapping mechanism.
    • Showcased the ability to localize and control nano-objects despite increased thermal fluctuations.

    Conclusions:

    • Local temperature fields offer an effective method for controlling nano-objects in solution.
    • The thermophoretic trapping approach is simple, scalable, and integrates easily into larger systems.
    • This technique provides a new avenue for precise manipulation of matter at the nanoscale.