Strong confinement of light in photonic crystals - application to resonant optical trapping
Cancelled
Event details
| Date | 14.09.2016 |
| Hour | 18:00 |
| Speaker | Dr. Nicolas Descharmes |
| Location | |
| Category | Conferences - Seminars |
POB seminar
Photonic crystals are periodic structures capable of confining light in very small volumes. This feature makes them particularly interesting for the enhancement of light-matter interactions, the creation of optical memories, and the fabrication of lasers and sensors. In this presentation, it will be shown that light confined in a 2D photonic crystal cavity can be used to exert a strong optomechanical force on a neighboring nanoparticle.
As an example of application, the first experimental demonstration of a resonant optical trap will be presented. Although based on the same physical mechanism as optical tweezers - the gradient force-, this trap has the great advantage of requiring only minute amounts of light power (here a few tens of micro watts). This approach also offers new perspectives. In particular, the existence of a mutual interaction between the local trapping light field and the particle, signature of the resonant nature of the trap, will be revealed.
Beyond the novelty of this coupled optomechanical platform and its potential applications for fundamental studies, these results allow us to imagine a new generation of tools, capable of simultaneously trap and analyze single nanoscale objects like viruses, nucleotides, or quantum dots.
You are cordially invited to the monthly Pizza-Optics-Beer (POB) seminar, organized by the EPFL Photonics Chapter (EPC). For organizational purpose (if you want to eat pizza!), please confirm your participation in the doodle.
Photonic crystals are periodic structures capable of confining light in very small volumes. This feature makes them particularly interesting for the enhancement of light-matter interactions, the creation of optical memories, and the fabrication of lasers and sensors. In this presentation, it will be shown that light confined in a 2D photonic crystal cavity can be used to exert a strong optomechanical force on a neighboring nanoparticle.
As an example of application, the first experimental demonstration of a resonant optical trap will be presented. Although based on the same physical mechanism as optical tweezers - the gradient force-, this trap has the great advantage of requiring only minute amounts of light power (here a few tens of micro watts). This approach also offers new perspectives. In particular, the existence of a mutual interaction between the local trapping light field and the particle, signature of the resonant nature of the trap, will be revealed.
Beyond the novelty of this coupled optomechanical platform and its potential applications for fundamental studies, these results allow us to imagine a new generation of tools, capable of simultaneously trap and analyze single nanoscale objects like viruses, nucleotides, or quantum dots.
You are cordially invited to the monthly Pizza-Optics-Beer (POB) seminar, organized by the EPFL Photonics Chapter (EPC). For organizational purpose (if you want to eat pizza!), please confirm your participation in the doodle.
Practical information
- Informed public
- Free
- This event is internal