Plasmonic Optical Tweezers based on Nanostructures: fundamentals, advances and prospects

TL;DR

This paper reviews the fundamentals, recent advances, and future prospects of plasmonic optical tweezers that utilize metallic nanostructures for precise light confinement and manipulation at the nanoscale.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of the theoretical foundations, recent technological progress, and potential future directions in nano-optical trapping using metallic nanostructures.

Findings

Enhanced control of single biomolecules.

Advances in near-field optical manipulation techniques.

Potential for future nanotechnology applications.

Abstract

The ability of metallic nanostructures to confine light at the sub-wavelength scale enables new perspectives and opportunities in the field of nanotechnology. Making use of this unique advantage, nano-optical trapping techniques have been developed to tackle new challenges in a wide range of areas from biology to quantum optics. In this work, starting from basic theories, we present a review of research progress in near-field optical manipulation techniques based on metallic nanostructures, with an emphasis on some of the most promising advances in molecular technology, such as the precise control of single-biomolecules. We also provide an overview of possible future research directions of nano-manipulation techniques.