Fabrication and Testing of Miniature Automatic Photophoretic Trapping Rigs

This paper presents an automated, rapid-fab-compatible, photophoretic trap test rig to enable the democratization and crowdsourcing of volumetric display research. The rig can be constructed within 2 h using a laser cutter, 3-dimensional (3D) printer, and common hand tools. In its current form, the rig can be used to test the following critical parameters: particle type, trap type, numerical aperture, and airflow at a rate of approximately 250 samples per hour. With minor modification, the rig can be made to test an even larger set of parameters, such as laser power and laser wavelength, depending on the user's needs. The rig can use machine vision for automated data capture and analysis. The operation and construction of the test rig are described with concise, easy-to-follow steps. Results from a four-unit test rig 'farm' covering the power and particle type parameters are reported. This platform will broaden the scope and composition of optical trap display parameters and researchers through accessibility and democratization.