Microparticles manipulation with a three-dimensional closed optical trap

Abstract: Gaussian optical tweezers have strong phototoxicity to bioactive substances and it is difficult to achieve capture and manipulation of multiple particles. Moreover, vortex optical tweezers face several challenges, such as weak axial confinement and dependence on complex optical elements like a spatial light modulator (SLM). Therefore, we design and construct a novel three-dimensional (3D) "optical spindle trap" (OST) system that does not require a SLM. By employing intracavity mode modulation and a simple extra-cavity lens modulation, we generate a fully enclosed 3D dark potential well with zero central intensity. Experimental results demonstrate that the system achieves stable trapping of single or multiple micrometer-sized particles with excellent 3D confinement and enables the trapping of mouse hepatocytes under low-power conditions. The system exhibits high physical stability. Its closed dark-field structure can also reduce phototoxic damage to biological samples. Furthermore, the dimensions of the optical trap can be flexibly tuned to suit various application scenarios. This study provides a novel, highly efficient, gentle, and low-cost optical trap platform for biomedicine and micro/nanoscale manipulation.