Skip to main content
Log in

The 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics: optical tweezers and chirped pulse amplification

  • Feature Article
  • Published:
Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to Arthur Ashkin (prize share ½), Gérard Mourou (prize share ¼), and Donna Strickland (prize share ¼) for “groundbreaking inventions in the field of laser physics.” This feature article summarizes the development of “optical tweezers and their application to biological systems” by Arthur Ashkin, as well as the Mourou/Strickland method of “generating high-intensity, ultrashort optical pulses” known as chirped pulse amplification. Further developments are also briefly discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Ashkin A. Acceleration and trapping of particles by radiation pressure. Phys Rev Lett. 1970;24:156.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Ashkin A, Dziedzic JM. Optical levitation by radiation pressure. Appl Phys Lett. 1971;19:283.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Ashkin A, Dziedzic JM, Bjorkholm JE, Chu S. Observation of a single-beam gradient force optical trap for dielectric particles. Opt Lett. 1986;11:288.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Chu S, Bjorkholm JE, Ashkin A, Cable A. Experimental observation of optically trapped atoms. Phys Rev Lett. 1986;57:314.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Ashkin A, Dziedzic JM. Optical trapping and manipulation of viruses and bacteria. Science. 1987;235:1517.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Ashkin A, Dziedzic JM, Yamane T. Optical trapping and manipulation of single cells using infrared laser beams. Nature. 1987;330:769.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Ashkin A, Dziedzic JM. Internal cell manipulation using infrared laser traps. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1989;86:7914.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  8. Ashkin A, Schütze K, Dziedzic JM, Euteneuer U, Schliwa M. Force generation of organelle transport measured in vivo by an infrared laser trap. Nature. 1990;348:346.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Abbondanzieri EA, Greenleaf WJ, Shaevitz JW, Landick R, Block SM. Direct observation of base-pair stepping by RNA polymerase. Nature. 2005;438:460.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  10. Strickland D, Mourou G. Compression of amplified chirped optical pulses. Opt Commun. 1985;56:219.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Johnson AS, Wood D, Austin DR, Brahms C, Gregory A, Holzner K, et al. Apparatus for soft x-ray table-top high harmonic generation. Rev Sci Instrum. 2018;89:083110.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Dunn MH, Ebrahimzadeh M. Parametric generation of tunable light from continuous-wave to femtosecond pulses. Science. 1999;286:1513–7.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Weiner A. Ultrafast pulse shaping: a tutorial review. Opt Commun. 2011;284:3669.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. P. Hamm and M. T. Zanni. “Concepts and methods of 2D infrared spectroscopy”. Cambridge; 2011.

  15. Oliver TAA. Recent advances in multidimensional ultrafast spectroscopy. R Soc Open Sci. 2018;5:171425.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to James E. Patterson.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Asplund, M.C., Johnson, J.A. & Patterson, J.E. The 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics: optical tweezers and chirped pulse amplification. Anal Bioanal Chem 411, 5001–5005 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-019-01913-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-019-01913-z

Keywords

Navigation