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Plasmonic tweezers: for nanoscale optical trapping and beyond
Yuquan Zhang1, Changjun Min2, Xiujie Dou1,3
1Nanophotonics Research Center, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Micro-Scale Optical Information Technology & Institute of Microscale Optoelectronics, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China.
Light, Science & Applications
|March 18, 2021
Summary
Plasmonic tweezers offer precise nanoscale manipulation beyond conventional optical methods. This review covers their principles, construction, and applications, particularly in biology, guiding future advancements.
Area of Science:
- Optics and Photonics
- Nanotechnology
- Biophysics
Background:
- Conventional optical tweezers provide precise manipulation of small objects.
- Surface plasmon techniques enable manipulation at scales smaller than the free-space wavelength.
- Plasmonic fields confine light to hotspots, facilitating higher-precision trapping of nanostructures and materials.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the principles and developments in plasmonic tweezers techniques.
- To provide a guide for the design and optimization of plasmonic tweezer systems.
- To critically discuss novel applications and future prospects of plasmonic tweezers.
Main Methods:
- Review of nanostructure-assisted and structureless plasmonic tweezer platforms.
- Presentation of construction methods and evaluation criteria for plasmonic tweezers.
- Critical discussion of applications in sorting, transport, sensing, imaging, and biological contexts.
Main Results:
- Plasmonic tweezers enable manipulation with unprecedented precision due to light confinement in hotspots.
- Diverse applications are emerging, especially in biological manipulation and sensing.
- The technique offers significant advantages over conventional far-field optical methods.
Conclusions:
- Plasmonic tweezers represent a significant advancement in nanoscale manipulation.
- Further development promises expanded applications and impact across scientific disciplines.
- This review serves as a foundational guide for researchers in the field.
