optical tweezers
Quick Summary
Optical tweezers are a physics tool invented by Arthur Ashkin, who won the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics for this invention. These tweezers use laser beams to capture and manipulate very small objects, such as cells, viruses, and bacteria.1
The technique involves focusing a laser beam with a lens to trap particles. Ashkin demonstrated that a tightly focused laser beam could trap atoms in the zone of highest light intensity. This method allows scientists to study microscopic life and its molecular systems without causing damage. Optical tweezers have become a widely used research tool in physics and other sciences.12
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- Arthur Ashkin
…Physics for his invention of optical tweezers, which use laser beams to capture and manipulate very small objects. He shared the prize with Canadian physicist Donna Strickland and French physicist Gérard Mourou. At the time of his award, Ashkin was the oldest person to receive the Nobel Prize; however, the…
Read More…Physics for his invention of optical tweezers, which use laser beams to capture and manipulate very small objects. He shared the prize with Canadian physicist Donna Strickland and French physicist Gérard Mourou. At the time of his award, Ashkin was the oldest person to receive the Nobel Prize; however, the…
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