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Optical Tweezers pp 137–155Cite as

Custom-Made Microspheres for Optical Tweezers

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Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 1486))

Abstract

Due to their high position and force sensitivity and the ability to remotely apply forces and torques, optical tweezers are widely used in diverse fields, such as biology, material science, and physics. Often, small dielectric particles are trapped and used as probes, which for experimental convenience are mostly spherical and composed of silica or polystyrene. The optical properties of these materials together with the microsphere size determine the trapping efficiency, and the position and force resolution. However, using only a single, homogeneous, isotropic, and unstructured material limits the range of trapping properties and thereby the applications of optical tweezers. Here, we show how custom-made microspheres composed of coated high-refractive-index materials—titania and nanodiamonds—and birefringent, liquid crystals extend the range and combination of desired trapping properties. These custom-made microspheres either enable the generation of high forces, a high force or time resolution, or the applications of torques. Custom-made probes expand the range of possible experiments and approaches broadening the scope and applicability of optical tweezers.

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Acknowledgements

We thank K. Sandomirski and T. Gisler for a detailed protocol how to make birefringent microspheres, Basudev Roy for help with the rotational power spectrum, and Sven A. Szilagyi, Melanie Eckert, Michael Bugiel, and Mayank Chugh for comments on the manuscript. This work was supported by the European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant 2010, Nanomech 260875), the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, the Technische Universität Dresden and the Universität Tübingen.

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    Authors and Affiliations

    1. Center for Plant Molecular Biology, Universität Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 32, D-72076, Tübingen, Germany

      Anita Jannasch, Mohammad K. Abdosamadi, Avin Ramaiya, Suman De, Valentina Ferro, Aaron Sonnberger & Erik Schäffer

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    1. Anita Jannasch
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    2. Mohammad K. Abdosamadi
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    3. Avin Ramaiya
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    4. Suman De
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    5. Valentina Ferro
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    6. Aaron Sonnberger
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    7. Erik Schäffer
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    Correspondence to Erik Schäffer .

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    Editors and Affiliations

    1. Department of Anatomy and Structural Biology & Gruss-Lipper Biophotonics Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA

      Arne Gennerich

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    Jannasch, A. et al. (2017). Custom-Made Microspheres for Optical Tweezers. In: Gennerich, A. (eds) Optical Tweezers. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 1486. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-6421-5_6

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    • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-6421-5_6

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    • Publisher Name: Humana Press, New York, NY

    • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-6419-2

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