Mode Excitation in Finite Dust Clusters Using an Optical Trap

Block, D.; Wieben, F.; Schablinski, J.
With the ability to trap a single particle in a dusty plasma, it becomes possible to alter the structural properties of the particle assembly or to manipulate its dynamical behavior. Here, we report on a first experiment to excite the eigenmodes of a finite dusty plasma crystal by means of a controlled oscillation of a single particle being trapped in a modified optical tweezer. The eigenmode structure and the excitation process are analyzed.

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