Abstract
We present a study of correlated Brownian fluctuations between optically confined particles in a number of different configurations. First we study colloidal particles held in separate optical tweezers. In this configuration the particles are known to interact through their hydrodynamic coupling, leading to a pronounced anti-correlation in their position fluctuations at short times. We study this system and the behavior of the correlated motion when the trapped particles are subject to an external force such as viscous drag. The second system considered is a chain of optically bound particles in an evanescent wave surface trap. In this configuration the particles interact both through hydrodynamic and optical coupling. Using digital video microscopy and subsequent particle tracking analysis we study the thermal motion of the chain and map the covariance of position fluctuations between pairs of particles in the chain. The experiments are complemented by Brownian motion simulations.
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