Controlled formation and manipulation of colloidal lattices by dynamically reconfigurable three dimensional interferometric optical traps

Abstract

We present real-time controlled manipulation of microparticles optically trapped in three dimensional (3D)-trap array lattices generated by dynamically reconfigurable n + 1 non-coplanar multiple plane wave interference in an umbrella-like configuration. Through a programmable spatial light modulator-assisted approach, reconfigurable stable 3D interferometric optical traps belonging to diverse transverse rotational symmetry are realized and used to trap micro beads in multi-layers. Dynamically controlled translation as well as rotation of trapped array of particles are also demonstrated using presented approach. Further, the optical stacking of microparticles in an array of 3D single-stranded chiral traps portrays the versatility in tailoring axially tunable trap arrays.