Optical positioning and linking for nanoscale assembly

Three-dimensional (3D) structures with nanoscale building blocks often benefit from light-matter interaction at the nanometer size scale. The most popular existing technologies for the 3D fabrication of these small structures (e.g. direct laser writing) typically encounter significant restrictions. Here we demonstrate our optical positioning and linking (OPAL) platform for the assembly of multi-material 3D devices consisting of nanoscale components. OPAL integrates an optical trapping setup with a computer-controlled motion platform, microfluidic building block delivery apparatus, and imaging feedback system, overcoming the limitations of many traditional nanofabrication approaches, and establishing a versatile tool for the fabrication of complex 3D nanophotonic structures.