Light-controllable liquid crystal platform for microparticle oscillations and transport

Liquid crystal colloids manifest complex motion caused by external stimuli, but tunable and addressable control of microsized objects remains a challenge. This study aims to demonstrate light-driven trapping, transport, and sustained periodic motions of microparticles by employing liquid crystal films as a light-controllable colloidal platform. The diverse motions of microscopic particles result from Marangoni convection coupled with elastic deformations in free-surface liquid crystal films subjected to light beam heating. The specific mode of particle motion, including damped and sustained oscillations, also combined with sustained rotation, is defined by the liquid crystal chirality, particle surface treatment, film thickness, and the power of the tightly focused light beam. The results reveal that free-surface liquid crystals provide a unique platform for the indirect optical manipulation of microscopic objects, paving the way for novel applications in microfluidic tools, particle sorting and transport, micropatterning, and various micromachines.