White Light Trapping Using Supercontinuum Generation Spectra in a Lead-Silicate Fibre Taper

We experimentally investigate white light optical trapping by generating a supercontinuum in a lead silicate fibre pumped by femtosecond pulses from a Ti:Sapphire laser near the zero-dispersion wavelength of 1030 nm, before confining the light using a microfibre half taper with a final tip diameter of 75 nm. Due to the high intensity gradient at the output, robust optical trapping is possible, as demonstrated for individual yeast cells using an average pumping power of 100 mW.