Australian Institute of Physics - Tasmanian Branch

AIP Women in Physics Lecture 2003

Catch, move and twist using optical tweezers

Prof. Halina Rubinsztein-Dunlop
Centre for Biophotonics and Laser Science, School of Physical Sciences,
University of Queensland

Wednesday 13 August 2003, 8:00 pm
University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay
Physics Lecture Theatre 1

ABSTRACT:
A single-beam optical gradient force trap, known as an optical tweezers, is created by focusing a beam of light with a strongly converging high-numerical-aperture lens. Optical tweezers can trap and move materials non-invasively at length scales ranging from tens of nanometers to tens of micrometers, and so have provided unprecedented access to physical, chemical and biological processes in the mesoscopic domain. Variants of optical tweezers based on specially crafted modes of light have demonstrated additional useful and interesting properties: optical vortices created from helical modes of light exert torques on trapped objects , and optical rotators provide fine orientation control. These specialized traps have potentially widespread applications in biosciences, biotechnology and micromechanics.

SPEAKER PROFILE:
Professor Halina Rubinsztein-Dunlop is the 2003 AIP Women in Physics Lecturer. She has long standing experience with lasers, linear and nonlinear high-resolution spectroscopy, laser micromanipulation, and atom cooling and trapping. She was one of the originators of the widely used laser enhanced ionisation spectroscopy technique and is well known for her recent work in laser micromanipulation. She has been also working (Nanotechnology Laboratory, Göteborg, Sweden) in the field of nano- and microfabrication in order to produce the microstructures needed for optically driven micromachines and tips for the scanning force microscopy with optically trapped stylus. Recently she led the team that observed dynamical tunnelling in quantum chaotic system. Additionally Prof. Rubinsztein-Dunlop has led the new effort into development of new nano-structured quantum dots for quantum computing and other advanced device related applications.

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Further information is available from:

Prof. Bob Delbourgo, ph. (03) 6226 2403, e-mail: Bob.Delbourgo@utas.edu.au  or  
Dr Elizabeth Chelkowska, ph. (03)6226 2725, e-mail: Elizabeth.Chelkowska@utas.edu.au.

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