Light-driven transport of microparticles with phase-gradient metasurfaces

Optical tweezers have opened numerous possibilities for precise control of microscopic particles for applications in life science and soft matter research and technology. However, traditional optical tweezers employ bulky conventional optics that prevents construction of compact optical manipulation systems. As an alternative, we present an ultrathin silicon-based metasurface that enables simultaneous confinement and propulsion of microparticles based on a combination of intensity and phase-gradient optical forces. The metasurface is constructed as a water-immersion line-focusing element that enables trapping and transport of 2μm particles over a wide area within a thin liquid cell. We envisage that the type of multifunctional metasurfaces reported herein will play a central role in miniaturized optical sensing, driving, and sorting of microscopic objects, such as cells or other biological entities.