Optical tweezers in colloid and interface science

The controlled manipulation of matter using radiation pressure, otherwise known as optical trapping, has emerged as a powerful experimental tool in the physical sciences. One particular trapping technique is known colloquially as the ‘optical tweezer’. Even though the theory of optical tweezer operation is still evolving, its use has provided exciting new insights into fundamental processes in colloid and interface science. From measurement of thermal-scale forces in colloidal suspensions to manipulation of membrane structures, optical tweezers provide pin-point access to the mesoscopic world. The development of novel optical tweezer techniques promises to extend this facility to the broadest class of soft condensed matter systems.