Experiments, Applications and Modeling of Advanced Optical Traps for Manipulating and Sorting Micro and Nano Particles

这项研究的重点是分离和分类在许多科学和工业过程中发现的微观颗粒。控制这些颗粒的大小分布和类型在今天的制药、制造业和科学界是必不可少的。本研究的目标是：(i)使用先进的全息光学陷阱作为粒子分离和操作的非侵入性，非破坏性手段；（ii）发展目前缺乏的理论，用于设计这些过程。这项工作的新颖之处在于，将根据要操纵的粒子的性质开发定制的光学陷阱。作为研究工作的一部分，开发的数学模型将纳入基本的输入参数，如光学陷阱景观、颗粒大小、颗粒类型和陷阱几何形状的时间变化。这些模型将通过与实验结果的比较来验证。这项工作将为光学陷阱的新的临床、制造和研究应用打开大门，并导致许多重要领域的进步。研究生和本科生都将有机会通过研究助理奖学金和普渡大学本科生奖学金参与研究。此外，随后的本科生研究研究经验将被写给美国国家科学基金会，以支持第二个本科生参与该项目。研究结果将作为学习单元在韦利的微/纳米物理过程课程和微/纳米流体力学课程中传播给研究生和本科生。

This research is focused at separating and sorting the microscopic particles found in many scientific and industrial processes. Control over the size distribution and type of such particles is essential in the pharmaceutical, manufacturing, and scientific communities today. The goals of this research are to (i) use advanced holographic optical traps as a non-invasive, non-destructive means of particle separation and manipulation and (ii) to develop the theory, currently lacking, for designing these processes. The novelty of this work is that custom-tailored optical traps will be developed depending on the properties of the particles to be manipulated. Mathematical models, developed as part of the research work, will incorporate the basic input parameters such as the optical trap landscape, particle size, particle type, and temporal variation of trap geometry. These models will be validated by comparison with experimental results.This work will open the door for new clinical, manufacturing, and research applications for optical traps and lead to advances in many essential fields. Both graduate and undergraduate students will have the chance to participate in the research through research assistantships and a Purdue undergraduate fellowship. Also, a subsequent Research Experience for Undergraduates research will be written to the NSF to support a second undergraduate student on the project. The results of the research will be disseminated to both graduate and undergraduate students as learning units in Wereley's Micro/Nanoscale Physical Processes class and his Micro/Nano Fluid Mechanics class.