Optical Trapping: Techniques and Applications

Dear Colleagues,

Since its first demonstration in the early 1970s, optical trapping has been widely used to uncover the mechanisms of molecular arrangements and cellular biology. Typically, optical forces are on the order of piconewtons, which allows one to hold and manipulate microscopic particles in a precise and contact-free way, which is the key to its widespread application in various fields, including material sciences and biomedicine. The integration of optical trapping with microfluidics provides a robust platform for cell-sorting, sensing, and diagnosis. Furthermore, the self-trapping of light in colloidal suspensions—attributed to optical force-induced nonlinearities—has shown great potential in enhancing propagation through otherwise highly scattering media. This Special Issue, titled “Optical Trapping: Techniques and Applications”, is devoted to optical forces and their wide range of applications. The main objective is to invite original articles on the latest innovative ideas, techniques, and results, as well as review articles summarizing and describing recent work on the development and application of optical forces. Focus areas include but are not limited to the development and use of optical manipulation tools for the following:

• biophotonics
• quantum photonics
• waveguide formation
• microfluidics
• plasmonics, metasurfaces, and structured materials

Dr. Rekha Gautam
Dr. Behnam Tayebi
Dr. Sapam Ranjita Chanu
Guest Editors

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