Thesiss

This thesis exploits so called “Optical Eigenmodes” (OEi) in the focal plane of an optical system. The concept of OEi is introduced and the OEi operator approach is outlined, for which quadratic measures of the light field are expressed as real eigenvalues of an Hermitian operat…

Light can exert optical forces on matter. In the macroscopic world these forces are minuscule, but on the microscopic or atomic scale, these forces are large enough to trap and manipulate particles. They may even be used to cool atoms to a fraction of a degree above absolute zer…

Over the last few decades, the use of light to control and manipulate microscopic particles has become widespread. These methods are enabling new areas of research to flourish across the physical and biological sciences. This thesis describes investigations into both optical tra…