Optical Trapping

For more information on optical trapping and some high resolution shots, see my blog entry at:
http://blog.jwcxz.com/?p=522

These are a few short clips illustrating the phenomenon of optical trapping. Essentially, a felt tip marker is briefly burned just above the focal point of a ~250mW 650nm laser, releasing an extremely small particle. This is not the intersection between the laser and some smoke; it's an actual particle embedded in the laser beam.

Because radiation can exert pressure on objects, there is a set of force vectors always keeping the particle just above the waist of the beam. This phenomenon illustrates how light can behave as particles (photons) because the photons have momentum and are therefore able to impart forces onto objects. It is even possible to move the laser around gently and the particle will follow along.

Music is Fist 2 (Four Degrees Dub RMX) by J Krafft, available here:
http://scenesat.com/track/2345

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• optical trapping
• optical tweezers
• red
• laser
• 650nm
• 250mw
• felt marker
• sharpie
• photon
• j krafft
• fist 2
• four degrees

[joeyjwc]

It seems as though this video has made it to liveleak:

view?i=995_1264499775

[dasraiser]

well at lest its better then the crap at the airports

[serasgotwings]

just purchased a 300nm laser , how do u do this..?

[NirnrootQueen]

O.O Holy crud... That is... SO AMAZINGLY COOL!

[RobotBadger]

I no longer believe in gravity.

[joeyjwc]

@R0CKET2MARS You can find lots of optical trapping vids here on YouTube and elsewhere. If you really don't believe me, I'll do the whole thing in a closed opaque box so that there's no way a second laser could be in place.

Also, creating a constructive interference pattern at a specific point like that is extremely difficult, much more so than burning a sharpie and releasing a few particles to be floated.

[thisis3d]

ever put a ping pong ball in the air stream of hairdryer? same effect i think

[confoundb4]

Wrong dude, watch the first part of the video. The laser moves in all directions but forwards and backwards. There for you are wrong

[Motorat88]

"There's more energy in a beam of light than you can imagine" K-Pax

[Psythik]

Thanks for uploading in HD!