Hydrodynamic micro manipulation on an optical tweezers platform

Optical tweezers have propelled the advancement of micro-manipulation. Yet not all materials can be optically tweezed, and high laser intensities can be harmful to living organisms. We propose a method for using optical tweezers to indirectly control particles which are freely diffusing in water. By optically trapping and controlling specially designed actuators, the surrounding fluid can be locally manipulated in a predictable manner. This, in turn, offers materialindependent hydrodynamic control over nearby free objects. We experimentally demonstrate control over translational and rotational motion of individual objects, and multiple particles simultaneously.