Light-driven plasmonic microrobot for nanoparticle manipulation
Abstract Recently light-driven microdrones have been demonstrated, making use of plasmonic nanomotors based on directional resonant chiral light scattering. These nanomotors can be addressed individually, without requiring the tracking of a focused laser, leading to exceptional 2D maneuverability wh...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-57871-x |
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| author | Jin Qin Xiaofei Wu Anke Krueger Bert Hecht |
| author_facet | Jin Qin Xiaofei Wu Anke Krueger Bert Hecht |
| author_sort | Jin Qin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Recently light-driven microdrones have been demonstrated, making use of plasmonic nanomotors based on directional resonant chiral light scattering. These nanomotors can be addressed individually, without requiring the tracking of a focused laser, leading to exceptional 2D maneuverability which renders microdrones a versatile robotic platform in aqueous environments. Here, we incorporate a light-operated manipulator, a plasmonic nano-tweezer, into the microdrone platform, rendering it a microrobot by enabling precise, all-optical transport and delivery of single nanoparticles suspended in solution. The plasmonic nano-tweezer consists of a resonant cross-antenna nanostructure exhibiting a central near-field hot spot, extending the ability of traditional optical tweezers based on focused laser beams to the trapping of nanoparticles. However, most of plasmonic nano-tweezers are fixed to the substrates and lack mobility. Our plasmonic microrobot utilizes circularly polarized light to control both motors and for stable trapping of a 70-nanometer fluorescent nanodiamond in the cross-antenna center. Complex sequences of microrobot operations, including trap-transport-release-trap-transport actions, demonstrate the microrobot’s versatility and precision in picking up and releasing nanoparticles. Our microrobot design opens potential avenues in advancing nanotechnology and life sciences, with applications in targeted drug delivery, single-cell manipulation, and by providing an advanced quantum sensing platform, facilitating interdisciplinary research at the nanoscale. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-12a3ba2bba1e478dabf92049155ccada |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-12a3ba2bba1e478dabf92049155ccada2025-08-20T03:01:41ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-03-011611910.1038/s41467-025-57871-xLight-driven plasmonic microrobot for nanoparticle manipulationJin Qin0Xiaofei Wu1Anke Krueger2Bert Hecht3Nano-Optics and Biophotonics Group, Experimentelle Physik 5, Physikalisches Institut, Universität Würzburg, Am HublandLeibniz Institute of Photonic Technology, Albert-Einstein-Straße 9Institute of Organic Chemistry, University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 55Nano-Optics and Biophotonics Group, Experimentelle Physik 5, Physikalisches Institut, Universität Würzburg, Am HublandAbstract Recently light-driven microdrones have been demonstrated, making use of plasmonic nanomotors based on directional resonant chiral light scattering. These nanomotors can be addressed individually, without requiring the tracking of a focused laser, leading to exceptional 2D maneuverability which renders microdrones a versatile robotic platform in aqueous environments. Here, we incorporate a light-operated manipulator, a plasmonic nano-tweezer, into the microdrone platform, rendering it a microrobot by enabling precise, all-optical transport and delivery of single nanoparticles suspended in solution. The plasmonic nano-tweezer consists of a resonant cross-antenna nanostructure exhibiting a central near-field hot spot, extending the ability of traditional optical tweezers based on focused laser beams to the trapping of nanoparticles. However, most of plasmonic nano-tweezers are fixed to the substrates and lack mobility. Our plasmonic microrobot utilizes circularly polarized light to control both motors and for stable trapping of a 70-nanometer fluorescent nanodiamond in the cross-antenna center. Complex sequences of microrobot operations, including trap-transport-release-trap-transport actions, demonstrate the microrobot’s versatility and precision in picking up and releasing nanoparticles. Our microrobot design opens potential avenues in advancing nanotechnology and life sciences, with applications in targeted drug delivery, single-cell manipulation, and by providing an advanced quantum sensing platform, facilitating interdisciplinary research at the nanoscale.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-57871-x |
| spellingShingle | Jin Qin Xiaofei Wu Anke Krueger Bert Hecht Light-driven plasmonic microrobot for nanoparticle manipulation Nature Communications |
| title | Light-driven plasmonic microrobot for nanoparticle manipulation |
| title_full | Light-driven plasmonic microrobot for nanoparticle manipulation |
| title_fullStr | Light-driven plasmonic microrobot for nanoparticle manipulation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Light-driven plasmonic microrobot for nanoparticle manipulation |
| title_short | Light-driven plasmonic microrobot for nanoparticle manipulation |
| title_sort | light driven plasmonic microrobot for nanoparticle manipulation |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-57871-x |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jinqin lightdrivenplasmonicmicrorobotfornanoparticlemanipulation AT xiaofeiwu lightdrivenplasmonicmicrorobotfornanoparticlemanipulation AT ankekrueger lightdrivenplasmonicmicrorobotfornanoparticlemanipulation AT berthecht lightdrivenplasmonicmicrorobotfornanoparticlemanipulation |