St Andrews Research Repository

St Andrews University Home
View Item 
  •   St Andrews Research Repository
  • Physics & Astronomy (School of)
  • Physics & Astronomy
  • Physics & Astronomy Theses
  • View Item
  •   St Andrews Research Repository
  • Physics & Astronomy (School of)
  • Physics & Astronomy
  • Physics & Astronomy Theses
  • View Item
  •   St Andrews Research Repository
  • Physics & Astronomy (School of)
  • Physics & Astronomy
  • Physics & Astronomy Theses
  • View Item
  • Login
JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

All-optical manipulation of photonic membranes

Thumbnail
View/Open
BlairKirkpatrickPhDThesis.pdf (12.18Mb)
Date
21/06/2017
Author
Kirkpatrick, Blair Connell
Supervisor
Di Falco, Andrea
Funder
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
Keywords
Optical tweezers
Photonic membranes
Structure-mediated design
Biophotonics applications
Metadata
Show full item record
Altmetrics Handle Statistics
Abstract
Optical tweezers have allowed us to harness the momentum of light to trap, move, and manipulate microscopic particles with Angstrom-level precision. Position and force feedback systems grant us the ability to feel the microscopic world. As a tool, optical tweezers have allowed us to study a variety of biological systems, from the mechanical properties of red blood cells to the quantised motion of motor-molecules such as kinesin. They have been applied, with similar impact, to the manipulation of gases, atoms, and Bose-Einstein condensates. There are, however, limits to their applicability. Historically speaking, optical tweezers have only been used to trap relatively simple structures such as spheres or cylinders. This thesis is concerned with the development of a fabricational and optical manipulation protocol that allows holographical optical tweezers to trap photonic membranes. Photonic membranes are thin, flexible membranes, that are capable of supporting nanoplasmonic features. These features can be patterned to function as metamaterials, granting the photonic membrane the ability to function as almost any optical device. It is highly desirable to take advantage of these tools in a microfluidic environment, however, their extreme aspect ratios mean that they are not traditionally compatible with the primary technology of microfluidic manipulation: optical tweezers. In line with recent developments in optical manipulation, an holistic approach to optical trapping is used to overcome these limitations. Full six-degree-of-freedom control over a photonic membrane is demonstrated through the use of holographical optical tweezers. Furthermore, a photonic membrane (PM)-based surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy sensor is presented which is capable of detecting rhodamine dye from a topologically undulating sample. This work moves towards marrying these technologies such that photonic membranes, designed for bespoke applications, can be readily deployed into a microfluidic environment. Extending the range of tools available in the microfluidic setting helps pave the way toward the next set of advances in the field of optical manipulation.
Type
Thesis, PhD Doctor of Philosophy
Collections
  • Physics & Astronomy Theses
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/10023/11031

Items in the St Andrews Research Repository are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.

Advanced Search

Browse

All of RepositoryCommunities & CollectionsBy Issue DateNamesTitlesSubjectsClassificationTypeFunderThis CollectionBy Issue DateNamesTitlesSubjectsClassificationTypeFunder

My Account

Login

Open Access

To find out how you can benefit from open access to research, see our library web pages and Open Access blog. For open access help contact: openaccess@st-andrews.ac.uk.

Accessibility

Read our Accessibility statement.

How to submit research papers

The full text of research papers can be submitted to the repository via Pure, the University's research information system. For help see our guide: How to deposit in Pure.

Electronic thesis deposit

Help with deposit.

Repository help

For repository help contact: Digital-Repository@st-andrews.ac.uk.

Give Feedback

Cookie policy

This site may use cookies. Please see Terms and Conditions.

Usage statistics

COUNTER-compliant statistics on downloads from the repository are available from the IRUS-UK Service. Contact us for information.

© University of St Andrews Library

University of St Andrews is a charity registered in Scotland, No SC013532.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter