Abstract
Optical traps have emerged as powerful tools for immobilizing and manipulating small particles in three dimensions. Fiber-based optical traps (FOTs) significantly simplify optical setup by creating trapping centers with single or multiple pieces of optical fibers. In addition, they inherit the flexibility and robustness of fiber-optic systems. However, trapping 10-nm-diameter nanoparticles (NPs) using FOTs remains challenging. In this study, we model a coaxial waveguide that works in the optical regime and supports a transverse electromagnetic (TEM)-like mode for NP trapping. Single NPs at waveguide front-end break the symmetry of TEM-like guided mode and lead to high transmission efficiency at far-field, thereby strongly altering light momentum and inducing a large-scale back-action on the particle. We demonstrate, via finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations, that this FOT allows for trapping single 10-nm-diameter NPs at low power.
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Acknowledgements
This work was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 11874164), the Innovation Fund of Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics and 1000 Talent Youth Program. The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
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Yuanhao Lou received his Bachelor degree from Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), China in 2018. He is currently a Ph.D. student in the group of Prof. Pang at School of Optical and Electronic Information of HUST. Lou’s research focuses on the assembling of a non-classical source using a nano-optical tweezers, and the integration of such a source into an all-fiber system.
Xiongjie Ning received his Bachelor degree from Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), China in 2019. He is currently a Master student in the group of Prof. Pang at School of Optical and Electronic Information of HUST. His major research interest is in-situ spectroscopic characterization of an optically trapped nanoparticle.
Bei Wu received her B.S. degree in Optoelectronic Information from Changchun University of Science and Technology, China in 2018. She is currently pursuing her M.S. degree in Optical Engineering at School of Optical and Electronic Information, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China. Her major research interests include new mechanism of optical trapping and in-situ photoluminescence spectrum.
Yuanjie Pang received his Bachelor degree in Engineering and Ph.D. degree from Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Victoria, Canada in 2008 and 2012. He was a Postdoctoral Fellow at School of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, USA during 2012–2015, and was jointly appointed as a Postdoctoral Fellow by Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering and Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, Canada during 2015–2018. Pang has been appointed as a Professor at School of Optical and Electronic Information, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China since 2018. His major research interests include nano-optical tweezers, as well as renewable energy storage.
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Lou, Y., Ning, X., Wu, B. et al. Optical trapping using transverse electromagnetic (TEM)-like mode in a coaxial nanowaveguide. Front. Optoelectron. 14, 399–406 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12200-021-1134-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12200-021-1134-3