In 1986, American physicist Arthur Ashkin developed a fascinating tool that could gently pick and move microscopic objects like cells and molecules without touching them. This tool, called optical tweezers, uses a focused laser to hold and manipulate objects.
Even after 48 years, optical tweezers are still very relevant, and physicists continue to use this innovation for tasks ranging from nanoparticle research to cellular-level modification.
Recently, researchers at the Technion Faculty of Physics in Israel achieved a controlled transfer of atoms from one place to another via quantum tunneling between optical tweezers.
“This is the first demonstration of this transfer method, and we believe it could represent a significant milestone in the development of new quantum platforms,” the Technion team notes.
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