Optical manipulation from the microscale to the nanoscale: fundamentals, advances and prospects

Since the invention of optical tweezers, optical manipulation has advanced significantly in scientific areas such as atomic physics, optics and biological science. Especially in the past decade, numerous optical beams and nanoscale devices have been proposed to mechanically act on nanoparticles in increasingly precise, stable and flexible ways. Both the linear and angular momenta of light can be exploited to produce optical tractor beams, tweezers and optical torque from the microscale to the nanoscale. Research on optical forces helps to reveal the nature of light–matter interactions and to resolve the fundamental aspects, which require an appropriate description of momenta and the forces on objects in matter. In this review, starting from basic theories and computational approaches, we highlight the latest optical trapping configurations and their applications in bioscience, as well as recent advances down to the nanoscale. Finally, we discuss the future prospects of nanomanipulation, which has considerable potential applications in a variety of scientific fields and everyday life. A review of the latest advances in optical manipulation predicts the emergence of new and exciting applications. Optical manipulation, which utilizes light to trap and move small objects, has become a vital tool in many fields. The development of optical tweezers together with advances in nanotechnology has opened the door to new applications. By first considering the fundamental properties of the optical forces and approaches for calculating them, Cheng-Wei Qiu and colleagues from the National University of Singapore, and co-workers, appraise recent developments and emerging technologies in optical manipulation. They predict that more sophisticated methods for manipulating the electromagnetic field will lead to the emergence of new beams for optical manipulation. They also consider that subnanoscale structures may be used in the future, which will require accounting for quantum effects.