Science Daily September 28, 2021
Optical tweezers were developed using a highly focused laser beam to control and maneuver tiny particles. An international team of researchers (Sweden, Russia) has shown that even unfocused light can be used to maneuver microscopic particles in a controlled manner by developing “metavehicle” consisting of a tiny particle coated with metasurface. They used the forces resulting from the light’s change in momentum control the meta-surface. By placing the metavehicle at on the bottom of the water dish, they used loosely focused laser to direct a plane wave of light onto them moving the metavehicle in a variety of patterns. Its speed, direction, and complexity of the patterns could be controlled by adjusting the intensity and polarisation of the light. The metavehicle was stable, navigation was predictable and controllable. It proved capable of transporting objects including a microscopic polystyrene bead and a yeast particle through the water with ease…read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLE
From stationary metasurfaces to mobile metavehicles. Credit: Nature Nanotechnology volume 16, pages970–974 (2021)Â