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Sunday, April 15, 2012

Optical trapping of carbon nanotubes and graphene

S. Vasi, M. A. Monaca, M. G. Donato, F. Bonaccorso, G. Privitera, O. Trushkevych, G. Calogero, B. Fazio, A. Irrera, M. A. Iatì, R. Saija, P. Denti, F. Borghese, P. H. Jones, A. C. Ferrari, P. G. Gucciardi, O. M. Maragò

We study optical trapping of nanotubes and graphene. We extract the distribution of both centre-of-mass and angular fluctuations from three-dimensional tracking of these optically trapped carbon nanostructures. The optical force and torque constants are measured from auto and cross-correlation of the tracking signals. We demonstrate that nanotubes enable nanometer spatial, and femto-Newton force resolution in photonic force microscopy by accurately measuring the radiation pressure in a double frequency optical tweezers. Finally, we integrate optical trapping with Raman and photoluminescence spectroscopy demonstrating the use of a Raman and photoluminescence tweezers by investigating the spectroscopy of nanotubes and graphene flakes in solution. Experimental results are compared with calculations based on electromagnetic scattering theory.

DOI

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