Article
Optics
Niels Gieseler, Aso Rahimzadegan, Carsten Rockstuhl
Summary: Laser-driven spacecrafts show promise for outer space exploration, but challenges regarding spacecraft stability and reflection need to be addressed. Researchers propose a design for lightweight, low-absorbing, high-reflective, and self-stabilizing curved metasurfaces.
Article
Physics, Applied
H. H. Fan, Y. P. Tai, H. H. Li, X. Z. Li, Q. W. Zhan
Summary: Structured light is a useful tool for particle manipulation, but creating the required structured light for arbitrary shapes is challenging. We propose a scheme that modifies the epicycle model in astrophysics to customize structured light freely and precisely. This method provides a simple and intuitive toolkit for designing structured light for complex tasks.
APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yunyun Li, Yuxin Zhou, Fabio Marchesoni, Pulak K. Ghosh
Summary: We numerically investigated the clustering of finite-size disks in a linear array of two-dimensional convection cells. The disks tend to form coherently rotating structures at the center of each cell due to steric interactions and pair collisions. Different patterns emerge depending on the suspension density, but thermal fluctuations dissolve them. Pair collisions activate cell crossings and cause athermal diffusion even by noiseless disks. The robustness of these collision induced effects is studied against thermal noise, transverse biases, and particle self-propulsion.
Article
Optics
Diego R. Abujetas, Manuel Marques, Jose A. Sanchez-Gil
Summary: Recent studies have shown the existence of optical forces and torques in sub-wavelength evanescent fields. Analytically, it was demonstrated that guided modes with transverse spin density induce optical torques. Hybrid modes supported by cylindrical waveguides exhibit intrinsic helicity leading to a rich distribution of longitudinal optical torques.
Article
Optics
Zhihai Liu, Kai Zhang, Wei Jin, Yu Zhang, Yaxun Zhang, Jianzhong Zhang, Jun Yang, Libo Yuan
Summary: This paper introduces a light-induced micro-vibrator that can perform adjustable reciprocating vibration based on the zla-typed photophoretic force. The vibration parameters can be controlled in real-time with high restoring speed and self-healing properties. The proposed technology can be used as a novel light-driven micromotor with potential applications in targeted drug delivery, biosensing, and environmental detection.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Jorge Luis-Hita, Juan Jose Saenz, Manuel Marques
Summary: This article explores how a dimer made up of two nanoparticles can obtain energy from a random electromagnetic field and achieve direct motion through asymmetries in the particles. The study finds that the force is non-zero only when at least one of the particles is absorbent. Additionally, it demonstrates that the nonreciprocity of the force leads to nonconservative interaction dynamics.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Cyriaque Genet
Summary: Optical forces play a crucial role in physical processes and are commonly used in laboratories to manipulate matter. Recent research has uncovered new forms of optical forces that emerge when a chiral system interacts with a chiral light field. These forces possess unique properties, such as enantioselectivity, and have the potential for applications in chiral separation and quantum-level control of chiral systems. This Perspective highlights recent advances in this field, showcasing the strong interaction between theory and experiments.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Han Yang, Gianni Jacucci, Lukas Schertel, Silvia Vignolini
Summary: In this study, various types of cellulose-based microparticles (CMPs) were introduced as biocompatible alternatives to high refractive index inorganic nanoparticles for efficient light scattering. The cellulose-based particles demonstrated excellent optical performance and were successfully used in the fabrication of scattering materials and high transmittance/haze films. The renewable nature and biocompatibility of these systems make them particularly suitable for applications in paints, LEDs, and solar cell devices, as well as in food and pharmaceutical coatings where component biocompatibility is essential.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Kevin J. J. Modica, Ahmad K. K. Omar, Sho C. C. Takatori
Summary: Physical boundaries play a crucial role in governing the transport properties of nearby self-propelled particles. Development of dispersion theories and Brownian dynamics simulations reveal the coupling between surface accumulation and effective diffusivity of active particles in boundary-rich media. Classical models of passive systems fail to capture the impact of unique interplay between activity and microstructure of the internal geometry. A Smoluchowski description of long-time self diffusivity, considering the density and fluctuation fields of active particles, demonstrates the activity-induced slowdown of effective diffusivity.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Emmanuel Hitimana, Brittany K. Roopnarine, Svetlana Morozova
Summary: This study investigates the dynamics of 36 nm negatively-charged polystyrene particles in convex lens-induced confinement using differential dynamic microscopy and particle tracking. The results show that particle diffusion is hindered with increased confinement and that the ensemble-averaged diffusion coefficient depends on bulk concentration.
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Gouri Patil, Pranay Mandal, Ambarish Ghosh
Summary: This Letter uses the ratchet principle to induce net motility in an externally powered magnetic colloid, breaking the reciprocal symmetry with asymmetric actuation timescales. This new class of microscale, magnetically powered, active colloids can simulate diverse active matter phenomena in the natural world.
PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Gazendra Shakya, Tao Yang, Yu Gao, Apresio K. Fajrial, Baowen Li, Massimo Ruzzene, Mark A. Borden, Xiaoyun Ding
Summary: This study demonstrates the manipulation of internal structure of disk-in-sphere endoskeletal droplets using acoustic wave. The authors developed a model to investigate the physical mechanisms behind this phenomenon and found that the disk orientation can be adjusted reversibly with the frequency of the acoustic driving. This dynamic behavior may provide a pathway for directed assembly of novel hierarchical colloidal architectures and intracellular organelles or intra-organoid structures.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Matthew S. E. Peterson, Aparna Baskaran, Michael F. Hagan
Summary: The researchers propose a framework to control shape transformations and filament organization in deformable vesicles, using simulations to reveal various filament spatiotemporal organizations arising from the interplay between active stress and deformability of the confinement. These emerging behaviors have not been observed in traditional systems, providing insights for designing active materials with targeted shape dynamics.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Xiaofei Wu, Raphael Ehehalt, Gary Razinskas, Thorsten Feichtner, Jin Qin, Bert Hecht
Summary: Researchers have successfully demonstrated the remote control of microscopic robots in two dimensions in all three degrees of freedom using unfocused light and plasmonic nanoantennas. This breakthrough has potential applications in transport, manipulation, and sensing of nano and mesoscale objects.
NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mikko Partanen, Jukka Tulkki
Summary: This study shows that the momentum and radiation pressure of light in negative-index metamaterials can be positive or negative depending on their subwavelength structure, with the material's negative momentum resulting from the optical force density causing negative radiation pressure.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Optics
Vojtech Svak, Jana Flajsmanova, Lukas Chvatal, Martin Siler, Alexandr Jonas, Jan Jezek, Stephen H. Simpson, Pavel Zemanek, Oto Brzobohaty
Summary: This study demonstrates optical binding between multiple optically levitated objects in a vacuum, characterizes the level of interparticle interaction and quantifies its nonlinearity for different system configurations, showing its broad tunability. The methodology for quantitatively characterizing optically bound structures is supported by extensive theoretical description and validated by numerical simulations.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yaprak Ozbakir, Alexandr Jonas, Alper Kiraz, Can Erkey
Summary: Efficient utilization of light in photocatalytic chemical processes requires careful optimization of the photocatalytic reactor layout to maximize the interaction between the incident light, photocatalyst, and reactant molecules. A new type of photocatalytic flow microreactor with an integrated light guide has been developed using a hydrophobic composite aerogel monolith. This concept is scalable and shows great potential for carrying out various photocatalytic reactions in both polar and non-polar solvents.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Katarina Rebrosova, Silvie Bernatova, Martin Siler, Magdalena Uhlirova, Ota Samek, Jan Jezek, Veronika Hola, Filip Ruzicka, Pavel Zemanek
Summary: Urinary tract infections are among the most common infections worldwide. This study demonstrates that Raman spectroscopy can be used as a rapid diagnostic tool to differentiate causative agents and determine antimicrobial susceptibility. It holds great potential for clinical diagnostics in the future.
ANALYTICA CHIMICA ACTA
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ianina L. Violi, Luciana P. Martinez, Mariano Barella, Cecilia Zaza, Lukas Chvatal, Pavel Zemanek, Marina V. Gutierrez, Maria Y. Paredes, Alberto F. Scarpettini, Jorge Olmos-Trigo, Valeria R. Pais, Ivan Diaz Noblega, Emiliano Cortes, Juan Jose Saenz, Andrea V. Bragas, Julian Gargiulo, Fernando D. Stefani
Summary: This article reviews the state of the art of optical printing of single nanoparticles and discusses its strengths, limitations, and future perspectives by focusing on four main challenges: printing accuracy, resolution, selectivity, and nanoparticle photostability.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Optics
Petr Jakl, Martin Siler, Jan Jezek, Angel Cifuentes, Johanna Tragardh, Pavel Zemanek, Tomas Cizmar
Summary: This paper demonstrates that combining a relatively small number of transmission matrices (TMs), measured using different internal references, can completely eliminate blind spots in multimode fiber-based endoscopic imaging, resulting in a significant enhancement of imaging quality.
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Manish Trivedi, Dhruv Saxena, Wai Kit Ng, Riccardo Sapienza, Giorgio Volpe
Summary: Experiments show that external optical stimulus can reconfigure colloidal random lasers spatially and continuously adjust their lasing threshold. These dynamic random lasers can self-organize and respond to external stimuli, presenting a tunable lasing threshold.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Anton Karalko, Peter Kesa, Frantisek Jelinek, Ludek Sefc, Jan Jezek, Pavel Zemanek, Tomas Grus
Summary: The study aims to develop a method to inject CO2 foam that reduces the risk of brain tissue embolism and heart infarction. Compared to iodine contrast agents, CO2 foam has lower complication risks, and the non-linear contrast imaging method can effectively image micron-sized gas microbubbles in the heart.
Article
Optics
Y. Arita, G. D. Bruce, E. M. Wright, S. H. Simpson, P. Zemanek, K. Dholakia
Summary: We have demonstrated a method of all-optical sympathetic cooling of a laser-trapped microsphere to sub-Kelvin temperatures, achieved through optical binding with a feedback-cooled adjacent particle. Our study opens up possibilities for multi-particle quantum entanglement and sensing in levitated optomechanics.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Nuno A. M. Araujo, Liesbeth M. C. Janssen, Thomas Barois, Guido Boffetta, Itai Cohen, Alessandro Corbetta, Olivier Dauchot, Marjolein Dijkstra, William M. Durham, Audrey Dussutour, Simon Garnier, Hanneke Gelderblom, Ramin Golestanian, Lucio Isa, Gijsje H. Koenderink, Hartmut Loewen, Ralf Metzler, Marco Polin, C. Patrick Royall, Andela Saric, Anupam Sengupta, Cecile Sykes, Vito Trianni, Idan Tuval, Nicolas Vogel, Julia M. Yeomans, Iker Zuriguel, Alvaro Marin, Giorgio Volpe
Summary: Self-organisation is the spontaneous emergence of spatio-temporal structures and patterns from the interaction of smaller individual units. Confinement can mediate and control self-organisation by limiting the translational and rotational degrees of freedom, acting as a catalyst or inhibitor. By constraining the self-organisation process in soft-matter systems, confinement can actively steer the emergence or suppression of collective phenomena in space and time.
Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Giorgio Volpe, Clemens Bechinger, Frank Cichos, Ramin Golestanian, Hartmut Lowen, Matthias Sperl, Giovanni Volpe
Summary: Active matter research is an important field that combines non-equilibrium thermodynamics with applications in biology, robotics, and nano-medicine. Gravity-driven phenomena on Earth can limit the study of soft active matter systems, but these limitations can be overcome in space to unify our understanding of active matter systems and provide guidance for space exploration and colonization.
Article
Optics
Giovanni Volpe, Onofrio M. Marago, Halina Rubinsztein-Dunlop, Giuseppe Pesce, Alexander B. Stilgoe, Giorgio Volpe, Georgiy Tkachenko, Viet Giang Truong, Sile Nic Chormaic, Fatemeh Kalantarifard, Parviz Elahi, Mikael Kall, Agnese Callegari, Manuel Marques, Antonio A. R. Neves, Wendel L. Moreira, Adriana Fontes, Carlos L. Cesar, Rosalba Saija, Abir Saidi, Paul Beck, Joerg S. Eismann, Peter Banzer, Thales F. D. Fernandes, Francesco Pedaci, Warwick P. Bowen, Rahul Vaippully, Muruga Lokesh, Basudev Roy, Gregor Thalhammer-Thurner, Monika Ritsch-Marte, Laura Perez Garcia, Alejandro Arzola, Isaac Perez Castillo, Aykut Argun, Till M. Muenker, Bart E. Vos, Timo Betz, Ilaria Cristiani, Paolo Minzioni, Peter J. Reece, Fan Wang, David McGloin, Justus C. Ndukaife, Romain Quidant, Reece P. Roberts, Cyril Laplane, Thomas Volz, Reuven Gordon, Dag Hanstorp, Javier Tello Marmolejo, Graham D. Bruce, Kishan Dholakia, Tongcang Li, Oto Brzobohaty, Stephen H. Simpson, Pavel Zemanek, Felix Ritort, Yael Roichman, Valeriia Bobkova, Raphael Wittkowski, Cornelia Denz, G. V. Pavan Kumar, Antonino Foti, Maria Grazia Donato, Pietro G. Gucciardi, Lucia Gardini, Giulio Bianchi, Anatolii Kashchuk, Marco Capitanio, Lynn Paterson, Philip H. Jones, Kirstine Berg-Sorensen, Younes F. Barooji, Lene B. Oddershede, Pegah Pouladian, Daryl Preece, Caroline Beck Adiels, Anna Chiara De Luca, Alessandro Magazzu, David Bronte Ciriza, Maria Antonia Iati, Grover A. Swartzlander
Summary: Optical tweezers are tools that use light to push, trap, and manipulate objects without physical contact. Since the 1970s, they have evolved into sophisticated instruments and have been widely used in various fields such as life sciences, physics, and engineering. Applications include precise force and torque measurement, micro-rheology of complex fluids, spectroscopy of single micro- and nano-particles, single-cell analysis, and statistical-physics experiments. This roadmap provides insights into the theoretical foundations, designs, and setups of optical forces and tweezers, and offers perspectives for applications in research fields ranging from biophysics to space exploration.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICS-PHOTONICS
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Marcel Rey, Giovanni Volpe, Giorgio Volpe
Summary: Light can alter the motion of objects and is an ideal tool to drive microscopic particles and make them active. Research in the field of soft active matter has focused on utilizing light intensity, but recent advances have also explored other properties of light such as wavelength, polarization, and momentum. Fully exploiting all properties of light will enhance control over active matter and the flow of light itself, leading to advancements in soft active matter systems and their technological applications.
Article
Physics, Applied
M. Siler, V. Svak, A. Jonas, S. H. Simpson, O. Brzobohaty, P. Zemanek
Summary: High-quality nanomechanical oscillators can sensitively probe force, mass, or displacement. A general method of Bayesian inference is introduced to infer the force field and environmental parameters in stochastic inertial systems solely based on the recorded noisy positions. The method provides robust results with trajectories 2 orders of magnitude shorter than those typically required by alternative inference schemes.
PHYSICAL REVIEW APPLIED
(2023)
Correction
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Giorgio Volpe, Clemens Bechinger, Frank Cichos, Ramin Golestanian, Hartmut Lowen, Matthias Sperl, Giovanni Volpe
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Danne M. van Roon, Giorgio Volpe, Margarida M. Telo da Gama, Nuno A. M. Araujo
Summary: This study investigates the role of disorder in determining the transport dynamics of chiral active particles on surfaces with obstacles. Results show that depending on the type and strength of disorder, the presence of obstacles can either enhance or hinder transport, providing implications for controlling active transport in disordered media.