Optical vortex trapping of particles

Opt Lett. 1996 Jun 1;21(11):827-9. doi: 10.1364/ol.21.000827.

Abstract

We demonstrate three-dimensional trapping of low-index particles (20-microm-diameter hollow glass spheres in water) by using a single, strongly focused, stationary dark optical vortex laser beam. The holographically generated vortex, which is similar to a TEM(01)* mode beam, was also used to trap and form ring patterns of high-index particles.