Abstract
This work provides optical delivery and controllable multi-destination release of nanoparticles (NPs) using a defect-decorated optical nanofiber (NF) assisted by a barrier. The delivery and release was accurately controlled using different evanescent optical fields at different regions of the NF by changing the injected optical power. The NPs (polystyrene, 713 nm diameter) were delivered along the NF (690 nm diameter) toward the decorated defect when a laser beam at a wavelength of 980 nm was injected into the NF. At an injected optical power of 25 mW, the NPs were delivered at an average velocity of 2.9 μm/s and 90% of them were released around the barrier, which is set beside the defect. When the power was increased to 40 mW, the average delivery velocity reached 4.2 μm/s and 92% of the NPs were released at the side of the defect opposite to the barrier. By further increasing the power to 80 mW, the average delivery velocity further increased to 8.2 μm/s. Consequently, 90% of the NPs moved across the defect and were delivered to the next destination at an average velocity of 5.2 μm/s. The experimental results were then explained theoretically using numerical simulations.
Highlights
The past decade has seen the rapid development of the targeted delivery and controllable release of micro/nanoscopic particles and biological samples, because of the attractive applications in the biomedical field.[1,2] The miniaturized integration of tests on microfluidic-based devices has provided both convenience and high efficiency for such delivery and release with the benefits of using electrokinetic techniques.[3]
The NPs were first trapped at the NF by the gradient force induced by the evanescent optical field of the 980 nm wavelength laser, and propelled along the NF toward the barrier at an average velocity of 2.9 μm/s one after another by the scattering force exerted on the NPs
This mismatch caused part of the light to propagate in the barrier, so the evanescent optical field in region 2 (R2) was weaker than that in region 1 (R1)
Summary
The past decade has seen the rapid development of the targeted delivery and controllable release of micro/nanoscopic particles and biological samples, because of the attractive applications in the biomedical field.[1,2] The miniaturized integration of tests on microfluidic-based devices has provided both convenience and high efficiency for such delivery and release with the benefits of using electrokinetic techniques.[3]. Particles,[12,13,14,15] cells,[16] and biomolecules[17] were trapped on the devices by using the gradient force and propagated in the direction of the light propagation by the scattering force being exerted on them. Like these integrated planar devices, evanescent fields exist on the surface of subwavelength optical fibers, and particles can be delivered along this type of fiber.[18] Because of the advantages of
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