Open AccessEnhanced and selective optical trapping in a slot-graphite photonic crystal
Author(s) -
Aravind Krishnan,
Ningfeng Huang,
Shao-Hua Wu,
Luis Martínez,
Michelle L. Povinelli
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.24.023271
Subject(s) - materials science , photonic crystal , trapping , optical tweezers , graphite , optical force , optics , particle (ecology) , dielectric , photonics , optoelectronics , physics , ecology , oceanography , composite material , biology , geology
Applicability of optical trapping tools for nanomanipulation is limited by the available laser power and trap efficiency. We utilized the strong confinement of light in a slot-graphite photonic crystal to develop high-efficiency parallel trapping over a large area. The stiffness is 35 times higher than our previously demonstrated on-chip, near field traps. We demonstrate the ability to trap both dielectric and metallic particles of sub-micron size. We find that the growth kinetics of nanoparticle arrays on the slot-graphite template depends on particle size. This difference is exploited to selectively trap one type of particle out of a binary colloidal mixture, creating an efficient optical sieve. This technique has rich potential for analysis, diagnostics, and enrichment and sorting of microscopic entities.