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Force Measurements with Optical Tweezers

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Springer Handbook of Nanotechnology

Part of the book series: Springer Handbooks ((SHB))

Abstract

An optical tweezer is a scientific instrument that uses a focused laser beam to provide an attractive or repulsive force, depending on the index mismatch, to physically hold and move microscopic dielectric objects [33.1]:

Since their invention just over 20 years ago, optical traps have emerged as a powerful tool with broad-reaching applications in biology and physics. Capabilities have evolved from simple manipulation to the application of calibrated forces on – and the measurement of nanometer-level displacements of – optically trapped objects.

The ability to apply forces in the piconewton range to micrometer-sized particles while simultaneously measuring displacement with nanometer resolution is now routinely adopted for the study of molecular motors at the single-molecule level [33.2], the physics of colloids and mesoscopic systems [33.3,4], and the mechanical properties of polymers and biopolymers [33.5,6,7]. In parallel with the widespread use of optical trapping, theoretical and experimental work on fundamental aspects of optical trapping is being actively pursued [33.8,9,10]. In this chapter we will give a short overview of the principles of trapping and detection; different calibration methods, as well as the influence of surfaces and viscosity, will be discussed. The chapter ends with a short insight into the application of optical tweezers to cell biology.

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Abbreviations

3-D:

three-dimensional

ACF:

autocorrelation function

CCD:

charge-coupled device

F-actin:

filamentous actin

IF:

intermediate filament

IF:

intermediate-frequency

MT:

microtubule

NA:

numerical aperture

OT:

optical tweezers

PFM:

photonic force microscope

PSD:

position-sensitive detector

PSD:

position-sensitive diode

PSD:

power-spectral density

QPD:

quadrant photodiode

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Experimental Physics, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89069, Ulm, Germany

    Othmar Marti

  2. Staatliche Fachoberschule Neu-Ulm, 89231, Neu-Ulm, Germany

    Katrin Hübner

Authors
  1. Othmar Marti
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  2. Katrin Hübner
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Correspondence to Othmar Marti or Katrin Hübner .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Ohio State University, Nanoprobe Laboratory for Bio- and Nanotechnology and Biomimetics (NLB2), 201 W. 19th Avenue, 43210-1142, Columbus, OH, USA

    Bharat Bhushan

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Marti, O., Hübner, K. (2010). Force Measurements with Optical Tweezers. In: Bhushan, B. (eds) Springer Handbook of Nanotechnology. Springer Handbooks. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-02525-9_32

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-02525-9_32

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