Optofluidics is the integration of photonics with microfluidics. The goal is to con- struct and provide platforms that enable enhanced optical sensing and manipula- tion of different types of samples that are of interest to interdisciplinary science. The broader vision is the lab-on-a-chip concept shown in Fig. 16.1, i.e., the scaling down of an entire laboratory to fit on a chip with biological, chemical, physical and optical sensing capabilities. In this context, optical forces find their perfect place affording the possibility to trap, manipulate, sort and characterise samples without mechanical contact. In this Chapter, we discuss specific applications, such as optical sorting of particles and cells by size or refractive index using radiation pressure or optical potentials, the monolithic integration of fibres, cavities and waveguides for optomechanical probing, and the realisation of micromachines and microrobots.
16.1 Optical sorting
16.2 Monolithic integration
16.3 Photonic crystal cavities
16.4 Micromachines
16.5 Further reading
References
Figure 16.1 — Light-driven lab-on-a-chip concept
Figure 16.2 — Microfluidic sorting in a optical lattice
Figure 16.3 — Microfluidic sorting in a speckle pattern
Figure 16.4 — Fibre tweezers integrated into microfluidic devices
Figure 16.5 — Selective optical trapping with a photonic crystal cavity
Figure 16.6 — Light-driven micromachines
Figure 16.7 — Microassembly of reconfigurable microenvironments