Student research opportunities

Adaptive Optics for Nanoparticle Tweezing in Air

Project Code: CECS_972

This project is available at the following levels:
Engn4200, Engn R&D, Honours, Masters

Keywords:

Adaptive Optics, Optical Trapping

Supervisor:

Dr Steve Lee

Outline:

Adaptive optics (AO) plays a significant role in an imaging or a communication system, e.g. telescopes, fiber communication systems and microscopy etc, by minimizing the effect of optical distortions through. Conventional adaptive requires a wavefront sensor for active correction. In this project, the student will work on an in-situ adaptive optical system, where wavefronts distortions are measured and compensated without a wavefront sensor device. The adaptive optics system will then be used to create a tunable optical trapping beam (structured light fields) that will enhance both the controllability and stability of trapped nanoparticles in air. This project is in collaboration with Professor Andrei Rode from ANU Laser Physics Center.

Goals of this project

• Adaptive Optics
• Structured light fields with dynamic light modulators
• Optical trapping of nanoparticles in air

Requirements/Prerequisites

• Basic knowledge of optics
• Interest in light matter mechanical interactions
• Laser safety course is required.
• Software programming of Matlab or Labview will be preferred but not essential.
• Can work independently
• Full year project

Student Gain

- Hands-on experience and extensive knowledge with adaptive optics
- Perform cutting-edge research into optical trapping of particles in air.

Background Literature

• W. M. Lee and S. Yun, "Adaptive aberration correction of GRIN lenses for confocal endomicroscopy.," Optics letters 36, 4608–10 (2011)
• Eckerskorn N, Zheng N, Shvedov V, Krolikowski W, Rode A "Effect of polarization on transport of particles in air by optical vortex beam", Journal of Optics 14, 055302 (2012)