Researchers control biofilm formation using optical traps

Biofilms—slimy layers formed when bacteria stick together on a surface—allow bacteria to shield themselves from extreme environments and even evade antibiotics. In a new study, researchers have shown that laser light ...

Laser squared: A two-domain photon-phonon laser

Lasers are a significant historical invention with ubiquitous impact in society. The concept also has interdisciplinary applications as phonon lasers and atom lasers. A laser in one physical domain can be pumped by energy ...

How advanced optical tweezers revolutionized cell manipulation

Optical tweezers (OTs), also known as optical traps, are highly focused laser beams that can be used to trap and manipulate microscopic objects with a noncontact force. Employed in a wide range of nano and micro-scale operations, ...

Scientists twirl liquid light into time-periodic cluster

Researchers from Skoltech, the University of Iceland, and the University of Southampton have demonstrated the formation of an odd never-before-seen entity from the realm of quantum physics: a cluster of optical vortices with ...

Turning white blood cells into medicinal microrobots with light

Medicinal microrobots could help physicians better treat and prevent diseases. But most of these devices are made with synthetic materials that trigger immune responses in vivo. Now, for the first time, researchers reporting ...

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