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Biological Applications of Optical Forces

Biological Applications of Optical Forces 1 056-8700/94/06 1 0-0247$05 . 00 SVOBODA & BLOCK PERSPECTIVES AND OVERVIEW In the first part of the seventeenth century, the German astronomer Johannes Kepler proposed that the reason comet tails point away from the sun is because they are pushed in that direction by the sun's ra­ diation. In his theory of electromagnetism of 1 873, James Clerk Max­ well showed theoretically that light itself can exert optical force, or radiation pressure, but this was not demonstrated experimentally until the turn of the century. One reason for the lapse of nearly three cen­ turies between hypothesis and verification is that radiation pressure is extraordinarily feeble. Milliwatts of power (corresponding to very bright light) impinging on an object produce piconewtons of force 10-12 N). The advent of lasers in the 1 960s finally enabled ( l pN researchers to study radiation pressure through the use of intense, col­ limated sources of light. An early pioneer of such studies was Arthur Ashkin of AT&T (Bell) Laboratories. By focusing laser light down into narrow beams, Ashkin and others demonstrated that tiny particles, such as polystyrene spheres a few micrometers in diameter, could be displaced and even levitated against gravity using http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Annual Review of Biophysics Annual Reviews

Biological Applications of Optical Forces

Svoboda, K; Block, S M
Annual Review of Biophysics , Volume 23 (1) – Jun 1, 1994
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Publisher
Annual Reviews
Copyright
Copyright 1994 Annual Reviews. All rights reserved
Subject
Review Articles
ISSN
1936-122X
eISSN
1936-1238
DOI
10.1146/annurev.bb.23.060194.001335
pmid
7919782
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

1 056-8700/94/06 1 0-0247$05 . 00 SVOBODA & BLOCK PERSPECTIVES AND OVERVIEW In the first part of the seventeenth century, the German astronomer Johannes Kepler proposed that the reason comet tails point away from the sun is because they are pushed in that direction by the sun's ra­ diation. In his theory of electromagnetism of 1 873, James Clerk Max­ well showed theoretically that light itself can exert optical force, or radiation pressure, but this was not demonstrated experimentally until the turn of the century. One reason for the lapse of nearly three cen­ turies between hypothesis and verification is that radiation pressure is extraordinarily feeble. Milliwatts of power (corresponding to very bright light) impinging on an object produce piconewtons of force 10-12 N). The advent of lasers in the 1 960s finally enabled ( l pN researchers to study radiation pressure through the use of intense, col­ limated sources of light. An early pioneer of such studies was Arthur Ashkin of AT&T (Bell) Laboratories. By focusing laser light down into narrow beams, Ashkin and others demonstrated that tiny particles, such as polystyrene spheres a few micrometers in diameter, could be displaced and even levitated against gravity using

Journal

Annual Review of Biophysics – Annual Reviews

Published: Jun 1, 1994

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