Modification of microparticles due to intense laser manipulation

Frank Wieben, Jan Schablinski, and Dietmar Block

Single micron-sized melamine-formaldehyde particles are levitated in the sheath of an rf-plasma and exposed to an intense laser beam, while being trapped in optical tweezers. A reversible change in the particles' properties is observed and quantitatively analyzed using reference particles. The investigations indicate a gain in particle charge where the initial charge restores within minutes. Possible reasons for these findings are discussed.

DOI