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Science 17 August 1990:
Vol. 249. no. 4970, pp. 749 - 754
DOI: 10.1126/science.249.4970.749
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Articles

Optical Matter: Crystallization and Binding in Intense Optical Fields

Michael M. Burns 1, Jean-Marc Fournier 1, and Jene A. Golovchenko 2

1 Rowland Institute for Science, Cambridge, MA 02142
2 Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, Rowland Institute

Properly fashioned electromagnetic fields coupled to microscopic dielectric objects can be used to create arrays of extended crystalline and noncrystalline structures. Organization can be achieved in two ways: In the first, dielectric matter is transported in direct response to the externally applied standing wave optical fields. In the second, the external optical fields induce interactions between dielectric objects that can also result in the creation of complex structures. In either case, these new ordered structures, whose existence depends on the presence of both light and polarizable matter, are referred to as optical matter.


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Creation and Manipulation of Three-Dimensional Optically Trapped Structures.
M. P. MacDonald, L. Paterson, K. Volke-Sepulveda, J. Arlt, W. Sibbett, and K. Dholakia (2002)
Science 296, 1101-1103
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Dynamics of self assembly of magnetized disks rotating at the liquid-air interface.
B. A. Grzybowski, H. A. Stone, and G. M. Whitesides (2002)
PNAS 99, 4147-4151
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