Tutorials - Optical Tweezers

Combined techniques

Complementary techniques can extend the information gained from an optical tweezers experiment. For a high-resolution and high-contrast imaging of the sample at hand, it is often advisable to include particular light microscopy techniques. Optical tweezers experiments are feasible with microscopic techniques like differential interference contrast (DIC), raman spectroscopy and fluorescence techniques like confocal laser scanning microscopy. When using a trapping laser in the infrared region – which is advisable for experiments with biological samples due to their low absorption in this region – the complete visible range is accessible for fluorescence experiments.

Optical tweezers are also often combined with other manipulation tools like micropipettes, electric field-producing nanopores and microfluidics. When working with samples with multiple handles, these techniques offer the user the possibility to clamp and manipulate the samples from different sites.