Design of a Wavelength-Tunable Optical Tweezer Using a Graded-Index Multimode Optical Fiber

A wavelength-tunable optical fiber tweezer based on a graded index multimode fiber with a flat endface is proposed. The design offers a noncontact optical fiber tweezer generating a stable optical trap that can be tuned precisely over a large range using a common wavelength-tunable laser. This property comes from the wavelength dependence of the graded index multimode fiber design parameters, such as the numerical aperture. Using an optical fiber tweezer with a flat endface is also more desirable than the tapered one because of the easier fabrication process. Our analysis also shows that the setup can form a stable three-dimensional optical trap in the Rayleigh regime in the absence of any microfluidic flow force.