Invitation to a lecture

The Department of Microphotonics, Institute of Photonics of the CAS cordially invites you to a lecture by Dr. Alejandro Vasquez Arzola on “Trapping in Evanescent Fields with Angular Momentum” on May 20, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. in the lecture hall of the Institute of Photonics of the CAS

About the lecture:
Are you intrigued by the world of optical traps and the manipulation of microscopic particles? Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from a leading figure in the field of optical micromanipulation, Dr. Alejandro Vasquez Arzola, who will present the principles of particle trapping in evanescent fields with angular momentum.
The lecture will provide insights into current research and experimental techniques that use optical angular momentum to create stable traps near surfaces — methods that have the potential to advance the frontiers of microscopy, biophysics, and quantum optics.

Abstract

Evanescent fields of light can be spatially-confined to extreme conditions up to scales several times lower than the wavelength enabling to tightly trap tiny objects with low light energy. In this talk, I will describe a TIR optical trap that allows to efficiently generate evanescent fields to capture and rotate nanoparticles based on the spin and orbital angular momentum of light. Additionally, I will show experimental results that indicate whole conversion of spin into orbital angular momentum of light.