Applications of laser tweezers in complex fluid rheology

Recent advances in the methods and applications of laser tweezers in complex fluid rheology are reviewed. Optical micromanipulation provides the ability to probe the mechanics, interactions, and structure of polymer and colloidal materials at the nano- and microscales. Applications in the areas of microrheology, micromechanics, and measurement of colloidal interactions are discussed. Significant developments in the past year include rotational microrheology, the role of nano- and microscale fluid structure in microrheological measurements, and the first quantitative measurements of three-body interactions in colloidal suspensions.