Combined holographic-mechanical optical tweezers: Construction, optimisation and calibration

TL;DR

This paper presents a combined holographic-mechanical optical tweezers setup using an SLM and GMM, optimizing incidence angles for better phase control and calibrating traps with active and passive methods.

Contribution

It introduces a novel optical tweezers configuration integrating SLM and GMM, with optimized incidence angles for improved phase and intensity response, and provides calibration techniques.

Findings

Smaller incidence angles on the SLM yield full 2pi phase shift and more stable intensity.

Optimal angle improves trap performance and control.

Calibration methods effectively measure trap stiffness and response.

Abstract

A spatial light modulator (SLM) and a pair of galvanometer-mounted mirrors (GMM) were combined into an optical tweezers set-up. This provides great flexibility as the SLM creates an array of traps which can be moved smoothly and quickly with the GMM. To optimise performance, the effect of the incidence angle on the SLM with respect to phase and intensity response was investigated. Although it is common to use the SLM at an incidence angle of 45 degrees, smaller angles give a full 2pi phase shift and an output intensity which is less dependent on the magnitude of the phase shift. The traps were calibrated using an active oscillatory technique and a passive probability distribution method.