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Updated: Apr 14, 2026
Optical Trap Loading of Dielectric Microparticles In Air
Published on: February 5, 2017
Development of a graded index microlens based fiber optical trap and its characterization using principal component
J Nylk1, M V G Kristensen2, M Mazilu2
1SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9SS, UK ; School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9TF, UK.
Abstract:
We demonstrate a miniaturized single beam fiber optical trapping probe based on a high numerical aperture graded index (GRIN) micro-objective lens. This enables optical trapping at a distance of 200μm from the probe tip. The fiber trapping probe is characterized experimentally using power spectral density analysis and an original approach based on principal component analysis for accurate particle tracking. Its use for biomedical microscopy is demonstrated through optically mediated immunological synapse formation.
