Optical Trapping, Sensing, and Imaging by Photonic Nanojets

Photonics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. 434
Author(s):  
Heng Li ◽  
Wanying Song ◽  
Yanan Zhao ◽  
Qin Cao ◽  
Ahao Wen
Keyword(s):  
Optical Tweezers ◽  
Optical Trapping ◽  
Near Field ◽  
Super Resolution ◽  
Diffraction Limit ◽  
Research Progress ◽  
Optical Forces ◽  
Resolution Imaging ◽  
Photonic Nanojets ◽  
Near Field Scanning

The optical trapping, sensing, and imaging of nanostructures and biological samples are research hotspots in the fields of biomedicine and nanophotonics. However, because of the diffraction limit of light, traditional optical tweezers and microscopy are difficult to use to trap and observe objects smaller than 200 nm. Near-field scanning probes, metamaterial superlenses, and photonic crystals have been designed to overcome the diffraction limit, and thus are used for nanoscale optical trapping, sensing, and imaging. Additionally, photonic nanojets that are simply generated by dielectric microspheres can break the diffraction limit and enhance optical forces, detection signals, and imaging resolution. In this review, we summarize the current types of microsphere lenses, as well as their principles and applications in nano-optical trapping, signal enhancement, and super-resolution imaging, with particular attention paid to research progress in photonic nanojets for the trapping, sensing, and imaging of biological cells and tissues.

Nanowire-type plasmonic waveguides as strong and tunable optical tweezers

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (07) ◽  
pp. 1950081 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shu Yang ◽  
Kang Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Long Range ◽  
Optical Tweezers ◽  
Optical Trapping ◽  
Near Field ◽  
Optical Forces ◽  
Plasmonic Waveguides ◽  
Trapping Forces

A series of nanowire-type plasmonic waveguides are proposed. The mode properties of these waveguides and their dependences on various geometry parameters are studied. It is shown that they can generate deep subwavelength confinement and long-range propagation simultaneously. Moreover, the optical forces exerted on dielectric nanoparticles by these waveguides are calculated. It is found that the optical trapping forces are very strong, and that their distribution can be effectively regulated by certain geometry parameters. Using these features, strong and tunable near-field optical tweezers can be designed.

Super-resolution imaging with near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM)

1988 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 155-163 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Betzig ◽  
M. Isaacson ◽  
H. Barshatzky ◽  
A. Lewis ◽  
K. Lin
Keyword(s):  
Optical Microscopy ◽  
Near Field ◽  
Super Resolution ◽  
Resolution Imaging ◽  
Scanning Optical Microscopy ◽  
Near Field Scanning

scholarly journals Super-Resolution Imaging with Patchy Microspheres

Photonics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. 513
Author(s):  
Qingqing Shang ◽  
Fen Tang ◽  
Lingya Yu ◽  
Hamid Oubaha ◽  
Darwin Caina ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Colloidal Particle ◽  
Near Field ◽  
Super Resolution ◽  
Incident Beam ◽  
Diffraction Limit ◽  
Beam Forming ◽  
Feature Size ◽  
Disc Surface ◽  
Promising Tool ◽  
Resolution Imaging

The diffraction limit is a fundamental barrier in optical microscopy, which restricts the smallest resolvable feature size of a microscopic system. Microsphere-based microscopy has proven to be a promising tool for challenging the diffraction limit. Nevertheless, the microspheres have a low imaging contrast in air, which hinders the application of this technique. In this work, we demonstrate that this challenge can be effectively overcome by using partially Ag-plated microspheres. The deposited Ag film acts as an aperture stop that blocks a portion of the incident beam, forming a photonic hook and an oblique near-field illumination. Such a photonic hook significantly enhanced the imaging contrast of the system, as experimentally verified by imaging the Blu-ray disc surface and colloidal particle arrays.

scholarly journals Generation and Detection of Structured Light: A Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jian Wang ◽  
Yize Liang
Keyword(s):  
Quantum Information Processing ◽  
Structured Light ◽  
Super Resolution ◽  
Research Progress ◽  
Free Space Optical ◽  
The Past ◽  
Integrated Devices ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Resolution Imaging ◽  
Light Beams

Structured light beams have rapidly advanced over the past few years, from specific spatial-transverse/longitudinal structure to tailored spatiotemporal structure. Such beams with diverse spatial structures or spatiotemporal structures have brought various breakthroughs to many fields, including optical communications, optical sensing, micromanipulation, quantum information processing, and super-resolution imaging. Thus, plenty of methods have been proposed, and lots of devices have been manufactured to generate structured light beams by tailoring the structures of beams in the space domain and the space–time domain. In this paper, we firstly give a brief introduction of different types of structured light. Then, we review the recent research progress in the generation and detection of structured light on different platforms, such as free space, optical fiber, and integrated devices. Finally, challenges and perspectives are also discussed.

scholarly journals Large-Scale Fabrication of Photonic Nanojet Array via Template-Assisted Self-Assembly

Micromachines ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 473 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pengcheng Zhang ◽  
Xi Chen ◽  
Hui Yang
Keyword(s):  
Self Assembly ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Super Resolution ◽  
Light Signal ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
Photonic Nanojet ◽  
Detection Technology ◽  
Size Uniformity ◽  
Resolution Imaging ◽  
Photonic Nanojets

A large-scale homogenized photonic nanojet array with defined pattern and spacing facilitates practical applications in super-resolution imaging, subwavelength-resolution nanopatterning, nano objects trapping and detection technology. In this paper, we present the fabrication of a large-scale photonic nanojet array via the template-assisted self-assembly (TASA) approach. Templates of two-dimensional (2D) large-scale microwell array with defined pattern and spacing are fabricated. Melamine microspheres with excellent size uniformity are utilized to pattern on the template. It is found that microwells can be filled at a yield up to 95%. These arrayed microspheres on the template serve as microlenses and can be excited to generate large-scale photonic nanojets. The uniformly-sized melamine spheres are beneficial for the generation of a homogenized photonic nanojet array. The intensity of the photonic nanojets in water is as high as ~2 fold the background light signal. Our work shows a simple, robust, and fast means for the fabrication of a large-scale homogenized photonic nanojet array.

scholarly journals From Far-Field to Near-Field Micro- and Nanoparticle Optical Trapping

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 1375 ◽  
Author(s):  
Theodoros D. Bouloumis ◽  
Síle Nic Chormaic
Keyword(s):  
Optical Tweezers ◽  
Near Field ◽  
Metallic Nanostructures ◽  
Diffraction Limit ◽  
Submicron Particles ◽  
Great Success ◽  
Laser Illumination ◽  
Minimum Particle Size ◽  
Standard Tool ◽  
Established Technique

Optical tweezers are a very well-established technique that have developed into a standard tool for trapping and manipulating micron and submicron particles with great success in the last decades. Although the nature of light enforces restrictions on the minimum particle size that can be efficiently trapped due to Abbe’s diffraction limit, scientists have managed to overcome this problem by engineering new devices that exploit near-field effects. Nowadays, metallic nanostructures can be fabricated which, under laser illumination, produce a secondary plasmonic field that does not suffer from the diffraction limit. This advance offers a great improvement in nanoparticle trapping, as it relaxes the trapping requirements compared to conventional optical tweezers although problems may arise due to thermal heating of the metallic nanostructures. This could hinder efficient trapping and damage the trapped object. In this work, we review the fundamentals of conventional optical tweezers, the so-called plasmonic tweezers, and related phenomena. Starting from the conception of the idea by Arthur Ashkin until recent improvements and applications, we present the principles of these techniques along with their limitations. Emphasis in this review is on the successive improvements of the techniques and the innovative aspects that have been devised to overcome some of the main challenges.

Super-resolution imaging of SERS hot spots

2014 ◽  
Vol 43 (11) ◽  
pp. 3854-3864 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine A. Willets
Keyword(s):  
Hot Spots ◽  
Super Resolution ◽  
Diffraction Limit ◽  
Resolution Imaging

Super-resolution imaging defeats the diffraction-limit of light, allowing the spatial origin and intensity of SERS signals to be determined with <5 nm resolution.

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