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Optical trapping of core-shell magnetic microparticles is experimentally demonstrated by using cylindrical vector beams. Second, we investigate the optical trapping efficiencies. The results show that radially and azimuthally polarized beams exhibit higher axial trapping efficiencies than the Gaussian beam. Finally, a trapped particle is manipulated to kill a cancer cell. The results make possible utilizing magnetic particles for optical manipulation, which is an important advantage for magnetic particles as labeling agent in targeted medicine and biological analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple and efficient polydimethylsiloxane microlens is made through controlling surface interactions, which can be integrated into soft lithographic systems. Lenses are created by controlling the solid-liquid interface between a droplet of liquid polydimethylsiloxane and a polymer substrate. By altering the surface characteristics, we control the contact angles of the droplet, which creates defined diameters and magnifications of these lenses. Furthermore, we demonstrate the ability to integrate these devices into culture systems enabling real-time magnified biological imaging in both aqueous and nonaqueous environments. This method has potential applications in fields including functional biomimetic microlenses, optical trapping, and endoscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a technique for building three-dimensional structures using optical methods combined with photocuring chemistry. This method merges an optics-based approach with chemical restructuring through the transition of materials from distinct phases. By activating this photocurable material in combination with controlling the intensity distributions that are inherently in optical patterns, in situ fabrication of three-dimensional polymeric microstructures is demonstrated. This experimentally simple approach combined with thermal control can create complex shapes including curved and asymmetric profiles. This method has potential applications in a variety of fields including optical techniques, photoactivatable materials, and laboratory-on-a-chip systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We derive a relationship between the initial unloading slope, contact depth, and the instantaneous relaxation modulus for indentation in linear viscoelastic solids by a rigid indenter with an arbitrary axisymmetric smooth profile. Although the same expression is well known for indentation in elastic and in elastic-plastic solids, we show that it is also true for indentation in linear viscoelastic solids, provided that the unloading rate is sufficiently fast. Furthermore, the same expression holds true for both fast loading and unloading. These results should provide a sound basis for using the relationship for determining properties of viscoelastic solids using indentation techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optical tweezers are ideal tools for cell manipulation in vivo due to their non-contact trapping ability. In the current studies, the optical trapping of cells can only be achieved in light-permeable organs. It is important to expand the application of optical tweezers to opaque tissues and organs, where biological activities are the primary focus of biomedical research. However, the optical manipulation of cells in these opaque organs cannot be imaged using a conventional transillumination microscope due to the opacity of these organs. Here, we use optical tweezers to trap erythrocytes and measure the cell deformability in mouse liver, which are imaged with oblique back-illumination microscopy (OBM). In the microscope system, two fibers are fixed at the same oblique angle on both sides of the microscopic objective, illuminating the trapping target asymmetrically. The dual-wavelength OBM strategy allows for obtaining a differential phase contrast image in a single-shot by color channel separation. The OBM can image the flowing and trapped erythrocytes in vivo in real-time. Furthermore, the erythrocyte deformability in vivo is evaluated with optical tweezers. The spring stiffness in vivo is 8.2 ± 2.1 μN m−1, which is obtained by stretching the trapped cells with blood drag flow. Our works make it possible to utilize optical tweezers to study the live cell dynamics in opaque organs, which will expand the application of optical tweezers in the fields of biomechanical studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determines the link among the initial unloading slope, the contact area, and the elastic modulus for elastic-plastic solid indentation. Usage of an indenter with an arbitrary axisymmetric smooth profile; Influence of initial stress on the contact area; Application of the link for mechanical property determination using indentation techniques.

Self-aligned inversion-channel In0.53Ga0.47As metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect-transistors (MOSFETs) have been fabricated using the gate dielectrics of in-situ directly atomic-layer-deposited (ALD) HfO2 followed by ALD-Al2O3. There were no surface pretreatments and no interfacial passivation/barrier layers prior to the ALD. TiN/Al2O3 (4 nm)/HfO2 (1 nm)/In0.53Ga0.47As/InP MOS capacitors exhibited well-behaved capacitance-voltage characteristics with true inversion behavior, low leakage current densities of ∼10-8 A/cm2 at ±1 MV/cm, and thermodynamic stability at high temperatures. Al2O3 (3 nm)/HfO2 (1 nm)/In0.53Ga0.47As MOSFETs of 1 μm gate length, with 700 °C-800 °C rapid thermal annealing in source/drain activation, have exhibited high extrinsic drain current (ID) of 1.5 mA/μm, transconductance (Gm) of 0.84 mS/μm, ION/IOFF of ∼104, low sub-threshold swing of 103 mV/decade, and field-effect electron mobility of 1100 cm2/V · s. The devices have also achieved very high intrinsic ID and Gm of 2 mA/μm and 1.2 mS/μm, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]