New York University

Harvard College

Government of the United States of America, As Represented by the Secretary of Commerce

Kosta Ladavac

David G Grier

Yael Roichman

Sang-Hyuk Lee

Marco Polin

Charles M Lieber

Ritesh Agarwal

Joy M Barker

Guihua Yu

A method for manipulating a plurality of objects. The method includes the steps of providing a shaping source, applying the shaping source to create a spatially symmetric potential energy landscape, applying the potential energy landscape to a plurality of objects, thereby trapping at least a portion of the plurality of objects in the,24 potential energy landscape, spatially moving the potential energy landscape to manipulate the plurality of objects; and extinguishing the potential energy landscape, thereby causing the plurality of objects to move freely when the potential energy landscape is extinguished.

Manipulation of objects in potential energy landscapes

Holographic optical traps using the forces exerted by computer-generated holograms to trap, move and otherwise transform mesoscopically textured materials. The efficacy of the present invention is based upon the quality and nature of the diffractive optical element used to create the traps and dynamically use them. Further a landscape of potential energy sites can be created and used to manipulate, sort and process objects.

A system and method for manipulating and processing nanowires in solution with arrays of holographic optical traps. The system and method of the present invention is capable of creating hundreds of individually controlled optical traps with the ability to manipulate objects in three dimensions. Individual nanowires with cross-sections as small as 20 nm and lengths exceeding 20 &#x3bc;m are capable of being isolated, translated, rotated and deposited onto a substrate with holographic optical trap arrays under conditions where single traps have no discernible influence. Spatially localized photothermal and photochemical processes induced by the well-focused traps can also be used to melt localized domains on individual nanowires and to fuse nanowire junctions.

System and method for processing nanowires with holographic optical tweezers

A system and method for bonding and unbonding of small objects using small adhesive particles. The system and method includes the use of a plurality of optical tweezers to manipulate objects to be bonded and adhesive particles suspended in a fluid. The objects to be bonded (or unbonded) and the adhesive particles are positioned by lower power optical tweezers and then an intense bonding optical tweezer is activated to cause the adhesive to join the objects together (or used to unbond objects).

Growing community of inventors

Ridgefield, CT, United States of America

Kosta Ladavac