Resolution improvement of optoelectronic tweezers using patterned electrodes

An optoelectronic tweezer (OET) device is presented that exhibits improved trapping resolution for a given optical spot size. The scheme utilizes a pair of patterned physical electrodes to produce an asymmetric electric field gradient. This, in turn, generates an azimuthal force component in addition to the conventional radial gradient force. Stable force equilibrium is achieved along a pair of antipodal points around the optical beam. Unlike conventional OETs where trapping can occur at any point around the beam perimeter, the proposed scheme improves the resolution by limiting trapping to two points. The working principle is analyzed by performing numerical analysis of the electromagnetic fields and corresponding forces. Experimental results are presented that show the trapping and manipulation of micro-particles using the proposed device.