Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Shaofeng Liu, Linhan Lin, Hong-Bo Sun
Summary: The optical manipulation of tiny objects is crucial for materials science and life science, involving direct and indirect optomechanical coupling. Traditional optical tweezers require high optical power and rigorous optics, while opto-thermophoretic manipulation techniques feature low optical power and high efficiency as a new emerging approach.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Pavana Siddhartha Kollipara, Xiuying Li, Jingang Li, Zhihan Chen, Hongru Ding, Youngsun Kim, Suichu Huang, Zhenpeng Qin, Yuebing Zheng
Summary: This article introduces the low-temperature opto-thermophoretic tweezers (HOTTs) technology, which achieves low-power trapping of diverse colloids and biological cells at sub-ambient temperatures through an environmental cooling strategy. At the same time, HOTTs can also suppress thermal damage. With their noninvasiveness and versatile capabilities, HOTTs have great potential for research and applications in materials science and biotechnology.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Optics
Roukuya Mamuti, Takao Fuji, Tetsuhiro Kudo
Summary: A new method for opto-thermophoretic trapping using a 2 μm Tm-doped fiber laser is proposed. The trapping is based on strong absorption of infrared laser beam by water solution, generating a local temperature gradient. The phenomenon is found to be dependent on material, particle size, and laser power, with 2 μm being the longest wavelength used for such trapping to date.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Chuchuan Hong, Sen Yang, Ivan I. Kravchenko, Justus C. Ndukaife
Summary: A new low-frequency electrothermoplasmonic tweezer (LFET) is reported for low-power, high-stability, and continuous dynamic manipulation of single nanodiamonds. The LFET combines laser illumination of a plasmonic nanopillar antenna array with low-frequency alternating current (ac) electric fields to trap and manipulate nanodiamonds effectively. This nanotweezer platform shows promise for scalable assembly of single photon sources and quantum sensors.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Chuchuan Hong, Sen Yang, Justus C. Ndukaife
Summary: Due to the heterogeneity of exosomes, trapping, manipulating, and sorting single exosomes in solution poses challenges. Optical tweezers face difficulties in stably trapping exosomes due to their small size and low refractive index. A new method using a concentric nanohole array (CNA) and laser illumination has been developed for stable trapping and manipulation of single exosomes, requiring only 4.2 mW of input laser power.
NANOSCALE ADVANCES
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Pengxue Jia, Hongyan Shi, Xiaoya Yan, Yanbo Pei, Xiudong Sun
Summary: This paper presents a novel approach to achieve large-scale manipulation and trapping of microspheres by uniformly coupled local surface plasmon fields on a short-range disordered self-assembled Ag nanoplates film. The film is prepared using simple and low-cost methods, overcoming the challenges of preparing periodic nanostructures with a large coverage area. The uniform and coupled plasmon fields enable non-invasive and repeatable trapping of particles in solution, and dynamic manipulating particles can be achieved by controlling the laser position. The stable manipulation enabled by this film opens up new possibilities for trapping and manipulation of nanoparticles in various applications.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Optics
Xi Xie, Xianyou Wang, Changjun Min, Haixiang Ma, Yunqi Yuan, Zhangyu Zhou, Yuquan Zhang, Jing Bu, Xiaocong Yuan
Summary: This study proposes a new method for accurately trapping and manipulating single or multiple particles in holographic optical surface-wave tweezers. By adjusting the optical potential wells formed by surface waves, the targeted single particle can be trapped while pushing away surrounding particles, and the particle can be dynamically controlled using a holographic tweezers beam. Different particle samples, including gold particles and biological cells, can be applied in this system. This method has significant potential applications in single-particle spectroscopy, particle sorting, and nano-assembly.
PHOTONICS RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jinqi Deng, Shuai Zhao, Junhong Li, Yangchang Cheng, Chao Liu, Zheng Liu, Lele Li, Fei Tian, Bo Dai, Jiashu Sun
Summary: In this study, a method called Tango is introduced, which enables sensitive identification of tumor-derived EVs through polyethylene glycol-enhanced thermophoretic accumulation and dual-aptamers recognition. The method allows direct detection of tumor-derived EVs from serum, accurately distinguishing prostate cancer patients from benign prostatic hyperplasia patients, and provides a streamlined approach for rapid, direct, and powerful cancer diagnosis.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ziwei Han, Fangning Wan, Jinqi Deng, Junxiang Zhao, Yike Li, Yunjie Yang, Qiao Jiang, Baoquan Ding, Chao Liu, Bo Dai, Jiashu Sun
Summary: The study developed an ultrasensitive detection method for measuring mRNA in extracellular vesicles, opening up new possibilities for non-invasive and rapid cancer diagnosis. The DNA tetrahedron-based thermophoretic assay achieves a very low limit of detection, allowing for the detection of PSA mRNA in serum without the need for RNA extraction and enzyme amplification, and outperforms serum PSA protein in discriminating between prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia.
Article
Optics
Ashutosh Shukla, Sunny Tiwari, Ayan Majumder, Kasturi Saha, G. V. Pavan Kumar
Summary: This Letter presents a method for optically manipulating fluorescent nanodiamonds (FNDs) in fluids using chemically prepared gold nanoparticles and silver nanowires. The nano-optical trap is achieved by combining the thermoplasmonic fields generated by individual plasmonic nanoparticles and the opto-thermoelectric effect facilitated by the surfactant. The trapping configuration allows for single FND trapping, manipulation, and multimodal imaging inside biological systems.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xiaofeng Chen, Hongming Ding, Dongdong Zhang, Kaifeng Zhao, Jiafeng Gao, Bingqian Lin, Chen Huang, Yanling Song, Gang Zhao, Yuqiang Ma, Lingling Wu, Chaoyong Yang
Summary: The study introduces a dynamic and reversible immunoaffinity microinterface technique which enables dynamic assembly of trapping force on chip by magnetic attraction, allowing efficient capture and release of circulating rare cells. This technology shows high capture efficiency and cell viability in liquid biopsy, indicating great potential for bioanalysis.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Shuai Zhao, Shaohua Zhang, Huijun Hu, Yangchang Cheng, Kexuan Zou, Jie Song, Jinqi Deng, Lele Li, Xiao-Bing Zhang, Guoliang Ke, Jiashu Sun
Summary: We developed a DNA cage-based thermophoretic assay for highly sensitive, selective, and in situ detection of mature miRNAs in EVs. Our assay can profile EV mature miRNAs directly in serum samples without the interference of pre-miRNAs and the need for ultracentrifugation.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2023)
Article
Biophysics
Yukun Wang, Avinash Kumar, Huaizhou Jin, Yongli Zhang
Summary: The study demonstrates that optical tweezers are able to stably trap GUVs and control membrane tension, serving as force sensors. Additionally, SUVs are rigid enough to resist large pulling forces, making them suitable for detecting force-induced protein conformational changes.
BIOPHYSICAL JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Zhenzhen Chen, Zhewei Cai, Wenbo Liu, Zijie Yan
Summary: Optical tweezers can control the position and orientation of individual colloidal particles in solution, providing unique prospects for single-particle spectroscopy and microscopy. This perspective discusses the underlying principles, combinations, and applications of optical tweezers with different spectroscopy and microscopy techniques, as well as the challenges and opportunities for performing spectroscopy and microscopy on single nanoparticles with optical tweezers.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Optics
Yao Xu, Xiaoyun Tang, Wenjie Su, Yaxun Zhang, Weibin Zhang, Yu Zhang, Zhihai Liu
Summary: This study demonstrates the three-dimensional optical trapping and manipulation of irregular hexogen (RDX) particles in a liquid environment using annular core fiber tweezers. By assembling a high-refractive-index glass microsphere on the facet of the fiber, a converging light field with a large-angle focus is obtained. The proposed optical fiber tweezers have the advantages of low cost, simple manufacturing, and large trapping stiffness.
OPTICS COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Shao-Feng Liu, Zheng-Wei Hou, Linhan Lin, Zhengcao Li, Hong-Bo Sun
Summary: 3D laser nanoprinting revolutionizes manufacturing by allowing maskless fabrication of 3D nanostructures at a resolution beyond the optical diffraction limit. It offers printed structures with unique physical, chemical, or mechanical properties not seen at the macro scale. However, its reliance on photopolymerization limits its usability to certain materials and functionalities. The ability to print diverse functional materials and the development of laser nanoprinting techniques beyond photopolymerization open up exciting new applications in nanophotonics and microelectronics.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Hongru Ding, Zhihan Chen, Carolina Ponce, Yuebing Zheng
Summary: Due to their contactless and fuel-free operation, optical rotation techniques have great potential in various fields such as cellular biology, 3D imaging, and micro/nanorobotics. However, the complexity of optics, high power requirements, and limitations in object applicability hinder their broader use. This Feature Article focuses on a new class of optical rotation techniques called optothermal rotation, which utilizes light-mediated thermal phenomena to enable versatile and simpler rotary control of objects with lower power. The article provides an overview of the fundamental thermal phenomena and concepts involved in optothermal rotation and categorizes the techniques based on their rotation modes and thermal phenomena. The potential applications of optothermal manipulation techniques in areas like single-cell mechanics, 3D bio-imaging, and micro/nanomotors are also discussed, along with insights on operating guidelines, challenges, and future directions.
CHEMICAL COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Guan-Yao Huang, Linhan Lin, Shuang Zhao, Wenbin Li, Xiaonan Deng, Simian Zhang, Chen Wang, Xiao-Ze Li, Yan Zhang, Hong -Hua Fang, Yixuan Zou, Peng Li, Benfeng Bai, Hong -Bo Sun, Tairan Fu
Summary: Excitons are quasi-particles composed of electron-hole pairs and play a crucial role in determining the optical properties of monolayer TMDs. Manipulating their charge states in a reversible manner remains challenging. By utilizing femtosecond-laser-driven atomic defect generation, electron transfer, and surface molecular desorption/adsorption, we have developed an all-optical approach to control the charge states of excitons in monolayer MoS2, enabling reconfigurable optical encoding.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jingang Li, Rundi Yang, Yoonsoo Rho, Penghong Ci, Matthew Eliceiri, Hee K. Park, Junqiao Wu, Costas P. Grigoropoulos
Summary: The distribution and dynamics of carriers in semiconductor materials play a crucial role in their physical properties and performance in industrial applications. As electronic and photonic devices continue to shrink in size, there is a need for tools to study carrier behavior at picosecond time and nanometer length scales. In this study, we present pump-probe optical nanoscopy to investigate carrier dynamics in silicon nanostructures. By combining experiments with the point-dipole model, we are able to determine the size-dependent lifetime of photoexcited carriers in individual silicon nanowires. Additionally, we demonstrate the mapping of local carrier decay time in silicon nanostructures with sub-50 nm spatial resolution. This study enables the nanoimaging of ultrafast carrier kinetics and has promising applications in the design of various electronic, photonic, and optoelectronic devices.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Pavana Siddhartha Kollipara, Zhihan Chen, Yuebing Zheng
Summary: Optothermal manipulation is a versatile technique that combines optical and thermal forces to control micro-/nanoparticles and biological entities. It overcomes the limitations of traditional optical tweezers and has a wide range of applications in biology, nanotechnology, and robotics. However, there are current challenges in experimental and modeling aspects, which need to be addressed for further advancements in this field.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Hongru Ding, Pavana Siddhartha Kollipara, Kan Yao, Yiran Chang, Daniel J. Dickinson, Yuebing Zheng
Summary: Optical tweezers offer contact-free manipulation of small objects, but require sophisticated imaging and feedback systems for controlled motion. We develop an optothermal platform that enables multimodal manipulation of micro/nanoparticles along various surfaces, including both synthesized particles and biological cells. With this platform, we can achieve localized control of biological functions on rough surfaces of live worms and their embryos. This multimodal optothermal platform will be a powerful tool in life sciences, nanotechnology, and colloidal sciences.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jie Fang, Suichu Huang, Kan Yao, Tianyi Zhang, Mauricio Terrones, Wentao Huang, Yunlu Pan, Yuebing Zheng
Summary: Tunable exciton-photon couplings have been demonstrated in monolayer TMDs, showing strong bright-exciton-photon couplings and revealing the novel interactions between bright and dark exciton-photon hybrids in a single optical cavity. The waveguide mode can be tuned in wavelengths by controlling the spacer thickness, and the relative contribution from the antenna mode coupled with dark excitons can be dynamically enlarged by increasing the excitation angle. This study opens new possibilities in tunable QED and provides insights into the coexistence of bright and dark exciton-photon couplings.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY C
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yaoran Liu, Rohit Unni, Xin Lou, Mingcheng Yang, Yuebing Zheng
Summary: This article introduces a high-resolution 3D imaging and classification technique based on optical microscopy coupled with optothermal rotation. It is applicable to any suspended organism in clinical samples, enabling contact-free and biocompatible 3D imaging.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Anand Swain, Zhihan Chen, Yaoran Liu, Zilong Wu, Yuebing Zheng
Summary: Thermal-tape-transfer printing enables the fabrication of large-scale and homogeneous moire chiral metamaterials (MCMs) with arbitrary twist angles and tunable optical chirality. This opens doors to various biological, photonic, and optoelectronic applications.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yaoran Liu, Zilong Wu, Daniel W. Armstrong, Herman Wolosker, Yuebing Zheng
Summary: The chirality of small metabolic molecules plays an important role in physiological processes and health assessment. Abnormal ratios of enantiomers in biofluids and tissues are associated with various diseases. Chiral small molecules show great potential as biomarkers for disease diagnosis, prognosis, drug-effect monitoring, pharmacodynamics, and personalized medicine. However, analyzing small chiral molecules in clinical settings remains challenging due to their diversity and low concentration levels.
NATURE REVIEWS CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zhihan Chen, Hongru Ding, Pavana Siddhartha Kollipara, Jingang Li, Yuebing Zheng
Summary: Researchers propose a novel optical feedback control system that can mimic collective motion observed in living objects. This system allows for experimental investigation of velocity alignment in a perturbed environment, and spontaneous formation of different moving states and dynamic transitions were observed.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Tiancheng Zhang, Kaichen Dong, Jiachen Li, Fanhao Meng, Jingang Li, Sai Munagavalasa, Costas P. Grigoropoulos, Junqiao Wu, Jie Yao
Summary: In this work, a non-trivial twist-enabled coupling mechanism was identified and formulated in twisted bilayer photonic crystals, resulting in the generation of optical vortices. This study expands the field of moire photonics and opens up new possibilities for its applications.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Pavana Siddhartha Kollipara, Xiuying Li, Jingang Li, Zhihan Chen, Hongru Ding, Youngsun Kim, Suichu Huang, Zhenpeng Qin, Yuebing Zheng
Summary: This article introduces the low-temperature opto-thermophoretic tweezers (HOTTs) technology, which achieves low-power trapping of diverse colloids and biological cells at sub-ambient temperatures through an environmental cooling strategy. At the same time, HOTTs can also suppress thermal damage. With their noninvasiveness and versatile capabilities, HOTTs have great potential for research and applications in materials science and biotechnology.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Editorial Material
Optics
Youngsun Kim, Yuebing Zheng
Summary: By decoupling temperature and flow fields, ISO-FLUCS enables precise control over fluid manipulation while minimizing thermal damage through symmetry-correlated laser scan sequences. Quasi-isothermal optofluidic streaming is achieved.
LIGHT-SCIENCE & APPLICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Marcel Herber, Ana Jimenez Amaya, Nicklas Giese, Bharath Bangalore Rajeeva, Yuebing Zheng, Eric H. Hill
Summary: The printing of layered silicate nanoclays using a laser-directed microbubble was established, and the influence of surface chemistry on the resulting assembly was studied. This work also demonstrated the potential of this method in fabricating ultrasensitive molecular sensors.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)