Colloidal nanotweezers are new tool for advanced particle manipulation

Tools for manipulating small suspended particles such as cells, micro-particles and nanoparticles play an essential role in the advancement of fundamental science and discovery of new technologies. Especially, manipulation of materials with light has led to significant breakthroughs in diverse field from atomic physics to microbiology and molecular medicine. More than 30 years ago, Arthur Ashkin from Bell labs first proposed a device that used focused laser light to trap objects which shared the Noble Prize in Physics in 2018. These devices are known as Optical tweezers and now a key instrument in biology, soft matter physics and quantum optics research.