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ABSTRACT: We present a technique to measure the velocity and flow profiles of a nanofluid in a microfluidic channel. Importantly, we extract the flow velocity from a series of standard brightfield images without employing particle tracking or laser-enhanced methods. Our analysis retrieves the flow information from the image structure function of sub-diffraction limited nanoparticles in suspension. We are able to spatially resolve the flow velocity and map out the parabolic flow profile across the width of a microfluidic channel.
Lab on a Chip 05/2013; · 5.67 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: We investigate the effects of 1(st) order spherical aberration and defocus upon the stiffness of an optical trap tens of μm into the sample. We control both these aberrations with a spatial light modulator. The key to maintain optimum trap stiffness over a range of depths is a specific non-trivial combination of defocus and axial objective position. This optimisation increases the trap stiffness by up to a factor of 3 and allows trapping of 1 μm polystyrene beads up to 50 μm deep in the sample.
Optics Express 11/2011; 19(24):24589-95. · 3.59 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Optical traps consisting of two counterpropagating, divergent beams of light allow relatively high forces to be exerted along the optical axis by turning off one beam, however the axial stiffness of the trap is generally low due to the lower numerical apertures typically used. Using a high speed spatial light modulator and CMOS camera, we demonstrate 3D servocontrol of a trapped particle, increasing the stiffness from 0.004 to 1.5 μN m(-1). This is achieved in the "macro-tweezers" geometry [Thalhammer, J. Opt. 13, 044024 (2011); Pitzek, Opt. Express 17, 19414 (2009)], which has a much larger field of view and working distance than single-beam tweezers due to its lower numerical aperture requirements. Using a 10×, 0.2 NA objective, active feedback produces a trap with similar effective stiffness to a conventional single-beam gradient trap, of order 1 μN m(-1) in 3D. Our control loop has a round-trip latency of 10 ms, leading to a resonance at 20 Hz. This is sufficient bandwidth to reduce the position fluctuations of a 10 μm bead due to Brownian motion by two orders of magnitude. This approach can be trivially extended to multiple particles, and we show three simultaneously position-clamped beads.
Optics Express 05/2011; 19(10):9908-14. · 3.59 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Force measurement in an interactive 3D micromanipulation system can allow the user to make delicate adjustments, and to explore surfaces with touch as well as vision. We present a system to achieve this on the micron scale using stereoscopic particle tracking combined with holographic optical tweezers, which can track particles with nanometre accuracy. 2D tracking of particles in each of the stereo images gives 3D positions for each particle. This takes less than 200 µs per image pair, using a 1D 'symmetry transform' applied to each row and column of a 2D image, which can maintain tracking of particles throughout the 10 µm axial range. The only parameters required are the geometry of the imaging system, and therefore there is no need to recalibrate for different particle sizes or refractive indices. Consequently, we can calculate the force exerted by the optical trap in real time at 1 kilohertz, allowing us to implement a force-feedback interface (with a loop rate of 400 Hz). In combination with our OpenGL hologram calculation engine, the system has a closed-loop bandwidth of 20 Hz. This allows us to stabilize trapped particles axially through active feedback, cancelling out some Brownian motion. For the weak traps we use here (spring constant k≈2 pN µm − 1), this results in a threefold increase in axial stiffness. We demonstrate the 3D interface by probing an oil droplet, mapping out its surface in the y–z plane.
Journal of optics 03/2011; 13(4):044003. · 1.57 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: During the last decade, optical tweezers have been transformed by the combined availability of spatial light modulators and the speed of low-cost computing to drive them. Holographic optical tweezers can trap and move many objects simultaneously and their compatibility with other optical techniques, particularly microscopy, means that they are highly appropriate to lab-on-chip systems to enable optical manipulation, actuation and sensing.
Lab on a Chip 02/2011; 11(7):1196-205. · 5.67 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: A 1 x 8 fiber array is used as the front-end of a receiver system. Each channel has a different length of fiber, resulting in each channel signal arriving at the detector at a pre-determined interval relative to a constant repetitive frequency signal. We demonstrate that these eight channels can be efficiently coupled to an individual single-photon detector such that the arrival-time of a photon in each is distinguishable from the next. Thus, we demonstrate spatial position to time information exchange, resulting in a photon-counting array using a single detector. The receiver system could be implemented in numerous applications, including time-resolved photoluminescence, low-light level spectroscopy and quantum information processing.
Optics Express 01/2011; 19(3):2670-5. · 3.59 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Holographic optical tweezers, using the latest spatial light modulators and graphics-cards calculate holograms at 200Hz, fast enough to compensate the Brownian motion. Coupled with high-speed imaging of multiple particles, various new system configurations are possible
10/2010;
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ABSTRACT: We present an optical system capable of generating stereoscopic images to track trapped particles in three dimensions. Two-dimensional particle tracking on each image yields three dimensional position information. Our approach allows the use of a high numerical aperture (NA=1.3) objective and large separation angle, such that particles can be tracked axially with resolution of 3 nm at 340 Hz. Spatial Light Modulators (SLMs), the diffractive elements used to steer and split laser beams in Holographic Optical Tweezers, are also capable of more general operations. We use one here to vary the ratio of lateral to axial trap stiffness by changing the shape of the beam at the back aperture of the microscope objective. Beams which concentrate their optical power at the extremes of the back aperture give rise to much more efficient axial trapping. The flexibility of using an SLM allows us to create multiple traps with different shapes.
Optics Express 05/2010; 18(11):11785-90. · 3.59 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The hydrodynamic interactions of micro-silica spheres trapped in a variety of networks using holographic optical tweezers are measured and characterized in terms of their predicted eigenmodes. The characteristic eigenmodes of the networks are distinguishable within 20-40 seconds of acquisition time. Three different multi-particle networks are considered; an eight-particle linear chain, a nine-particle square grid and, finally, an eight-particle ring. The eigenmodes and their decay rates are shown to behave as predicted by the Oseen tensor and the Langevin equation, respectively. Finally, we demonstrate the potential of using our micro-ring as a non-invasive sensor to the local environmental viscosity, by showing the distortion of the eigenmode spectrum due to the proximity of a planar boundary.
Journal of Biophotonics 03/2010; 3(4):244-51. · 4.34 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: We present a holographic optical tweezers system capable of position clamping multiple particles. Moving an optical trap in response to the trapped object's motion is a powerful technique for optical control and force measurement. We have now realised this experimentally using a Boulder Nonlinear Systems Spatial Light Modulator (SLM) with a refresh rate of 203Hz. We obtain a reduction of 44% in the variance of the bead's position, corresponding to an increase in effective trap stiffness of 77%. This reduction relies on the generation of holograms at high speed. We present software capable of calculating holograms in under 1ms using a graphics processor unit.
Optics Express 12/2009; 17(25):22718-25. · 3.59 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Microrheology is the study of the flow of materials over small scales. It is of particular interest to those involved with investigations of fluid properties within Lab-on-a-Chip structures or within other micron-scale environments. The article briefly reviews existing active and passive methods used in the study of fluids. It then explores in greater detail the use of optical tweezers as an emerging method to investigate rheological phenomena, including, for example, viscosity and viscoelasticity, as well as the related topic of flow. The article also describes, briefly, potential future applications of this topic, in the fields of biological measurement, in general, and Lab-on-a-Chip, in particular.
Lab on a Chip 10/2009; 9(17):2568-75. · 5.67 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: We demonstrate the technique of multipoint viscosity measurements incorporating the accurate calibration of micron sized particles. We describe the use of a high-speed camera to measure the residual motion of particles trapped in holographic optical tweezers, enabling us to calculate the fluid viscosity at multiple points across the field-of-view of the microscope within a microfluidic system.
Lab on a Chip 08/2009; 9(14):2059-62. · 5.67 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Optical tweezers are a powerful tool for micromanipulation and measurement of picoNewton sized forces. However, conventional interfaces present difficulties as the user cannot feel the forces involved. We present an interface to optical tweezers, based around a low-cost commercial force feedback device. The different dynamics of the micro-world make intuitive force feedback a challenge. We propose a coupling method using an existing optical tweezers system and discuss stability and transparency. Our system allows the user to perceive real Brownian motion and viscosity, as well as forces exerted during manipulation of objects by a trapped bead.
Optics Express 07/2009; 17(12):10259-64. · 3.59 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: We present a system which uses a single spatial light modulator to control the spin angular momentum of multiple optical traps. These traps may be independently controlled both in terms of spatial location and in terms of their spin angular momentum content. The system relies on a spatial light modulator used in a "split-screen" configuration to generate beams of orthogonal polarisation states which are subsequently combined at a polarising beam splitter. Defining the phase difference between the beams with the spatial light modulator enables control of the polarisation state of the light. We demonstrate the functionality of the system by controlling the rotation and orientation of birefringent vaterite crystals within holographic optical tweezers.
Optics Express 10/2008; 16(20):15897-902. · 3.59 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Patients who have had one oral cancer are at increased risk of developing a further malignant tumour, the detection of which is made difficult (and is often delayed) by the innocuous appearance of the early oral lesion. A technique that could reliably detect early cancers would be useful to both oral and dental health specialists. We describe a pilot study in which we used a compact spectroscopic instrument designed to excite and measure fluorescence in the oral cavity. The data were processed using principal components analysis, and the results suggest that the technique might be valuable for detecting early oral cancers. Further work should be performed to investigate some unusual characteristics observed within our data to ascertain if these are significant, simply due to errors made due data collection, or are due to other lifestyle factors. Such work could also verify that the data are due to detection of ALA metabolite in cancer and not some other systemic effect.
British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 02/2008; 46(1):6-10. · 1.95 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: We report the development of a joystick controlled gripper for the real-time manipulation of micron-sized objects, driven using holographic optical tweezers (HOTs). The gripper consists of an arrangement of four silica beads, located in optical traps, which can be positioned and scaled in order to trap an object indirectly. The joystick can be used to grasp, move (lateral or axial), and change the orientation of the target object. The ability to trap objects indirectly allows us to demonstrate the manipulation of a strongly scattering micron-sized metallic particle.
New Journal of Physics 01/2007; 9(1):14. · 4.18 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: We have developed a real time interface for holographic optical tweezers where the operator's fingertips are mapped to the positions of silica beads captured in optical traps. The beads act as the fingertips of a microhand which can be used to manipulate objects that otherwise do not lend themselves to tweezers control, e.g. objects that are strongly scattering or highly light sensitive. We illustrate the use of the microhand for the real time manipulation of micron sized chrome particles.
Optics Express 01/2007; 14(25):12497-502. · 3.59 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: We demonstrate the Fourier relationship between angular position and angular momentum for a light mode. In particular we measure the distribution of orbital angular momentum states of light that has passed through an aperture and verify that the orbital angular momentum distribution is given by the complex Fourier-transform of the aperture function. We use spatial light modulators, configured as diffractive optical components, to define the initial orbital angular momentum state of the beam, set the defining aperture, and measure the angular momentum spread of the resulting beam. These measurements clearly confirm the Fourier relationship between angular momentum and angular position, even at light intensities corresponding to the single photon level.
Optics Express 11/2006; 14(20):9071-6. · 3.59 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: When light is transmitted along the axis of a rotating glass rod, the polarization of the light is rotated through a small angle [Proc. R. Soc. London, Ser. A349, 423 (1976)]. Under the same conditions, we predict a rotation of the transmitted image by exactly the same angle. The treatment of the two effects in terms of light's spin and orbital angular momentum suggests that they share a common origin.
Optics Letters 08/2006; 31(14):2205-7. · 3.40 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: We demonstrate a method for generating flow within a microfluidic channel using an optically driven pump. The pump consists of two counter rotating birefringent vaterite particles trapped within a microfluidic channel and driven using optical tweezers. The transfer of spin angular momentum from a circularly polarised laser beam rotates the particles at up to 10 Hz. We show that the pump is able to displace fluid in microchannels, with flow rates of up to 200 microm(3) s(-1) (200 fL s(-1)). The direction of fluid pumping can be reversed by altering the sense of the rotation of the vaterite beads. We also incorporate a novel optical sensing method, based upon an additional probe particle, trapped within separate optical tweezers, enabling us to map the magnitude and direction of fluid flow within the channel. The techniques described in the paper have potential to be extended to drive an integrated lab-on-chip device, where pumping, flow measurement and optical sensing could all be achieved by structuring a single laser beam.
Lab on a Chip 07/2006; 6(6):735-9. · 5.67 Impact Factor
