Seminar: Plasmonic Optical Tweezers: From Nanoparticles Trapping to Biomolecules Manipulation

Title:  Plasmonic Optical Tweezers: From Nanoparticles Trapping to Biomolecules Manipulation

Speaker: Dr Domna Kotsifaki, Assistant Professor of Physics, Duke Kunshan University, China

Abstract:
Plasmonic optical tweezers (POT) have emerged as a groundbreaking technology for the precise manipulation of nanoscale objects, overcoming the diffraction limits of conventional optical trapping [1-5]. This talk will provide an overview of the physics behind POT, focusing on using plasmonic nanostructures with unique properties, such as Fano-resonant metamaterials, to achieve stable trapping of nanoparticles as small as 10 nm.  I will present experimental demonstrations of single nanoparticle trapping, as well as the dynamic manipulation of multiple nanoparticles in lab-on-chip environments. Furthermore, I will discuss the application of POT in biomolecular studies, including the trapping and discrimination of enzymes and dielectric particles using advanced statistical tools such as probability density functions and violin plots. Finally, I will highlight recent advancements in the optothermal trapping of lipid vesicles, demonstrating how thermal-gradient-induced forces can be utilized for efficient drug delivery and biosensing. By combining theoretical insights with experimental results, this talk will highlight the transformative potential of plasmonic optical tweezers in nanoscience, biophysics, and nanomedicine.

[1] D.G.Kotsifaki, V.G. Truong, S. Nic Chormaic, Fano-resonant, asymmetric, metamaterial-assisted tweezers for single nanoparticle trapping, Nano Letters 20(5), 3388-3395 (2020).
[2] D.G. Kotsifaki, V.G. Truong, S. Nic Chormaic, Dynamic multiple nanoparticle trapping using metamaterial plasmonic tweezers, Applied Physics Letters 118(2), 021107 (2021).
[3] T.D. Bouloumis, D.G. Kotsifaki, S. Nic Chormaic, Enabling self-induced back-action trapping of gold nanoparticles in metamaterials plasmonic tweezers, Nano Letters 23(11), 4723-4731 (2023).
[4] D.G. Kotsifaki, V.G. Truong, M. Dindo, P. Laurino, S. Nic Chormaic, Hybrid metamaterial optical tweezers for dielectric particles and biomolecules discrimination, arXiv preprint arXiv:2402.12878 (2024).
[5] Z. Jiang, Y. Sun, Y. Gao, L. Xu, D.G. Kotsifaki, Fast lipid vesicles and dielectric particles migration using thermal-gradient induces forces, Journal of Optics 26(9), 095301(2024).