Beth's experiment using optical tweezers

D. N. Moothoo; J. Arlt; R. S. Conroy; F. Akerboom; A. Voit; K. Dholakia

doi:10.1119/1.1309520

Beth's experiment using optical tweezers

D. N. Moothoo, J. Arlt, R. S. Conroy, F. Akerboom, A. Voit, K. Dholakia

Department of Physics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

33 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We show how a student may construct simple and versatile optical tweezers to manipulate micron-sized particles. The tweezers apparatus is used to set birefringent calcite particles into rotation using circularly polarized light. This demonstrates the mechanical transfer of the angular momentum associated with circularly polarized light from the laser beam to the trapped particle. This offers the student a method for performing Beth's experiment qualitatively in the undergraduate laboratory.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	271-276
Number of pages	6
Journal	American Journal of Physics
Volume	69
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1119/1.1309520
Publication status	Published - 2001 Mar

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Physics and Astronomy(all)

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10.1119/1.1309520

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abstract = "We show how a student may construct simple and versatile optical tweezers to manipulate micron-sized particles. The tweezers apparatus is used to set birefringent calcite particles into rotation using circularly polarized light. This demonstrates the mechanical transfer of the angular momentum associated with circularly polarized light from the laser beam to the trapped particle. This offers the student a method for performing Beth's experiment qualitatively in the undergraduate laboratory.",

author = "Moothoo, {D. N.} and J. Arlt and Conroy, {R. S.} and F. Akerboom and A. Voit and K. Dholakia",

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AU - Voit, A.

AU - Dholakia, K.

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Beth's experiment using optical tweezers

Abstract

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

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