SGER: Trapping and Controlling Single Nanoscale Objects

Stanford University, Stanford CA

Investigators

Abstract

In this Small Grant for Exploratory Research (SGER), funded by the Experimental Physical Chemistry Program of the Chemistry Division, Prof. W. E. Moerner of Stanford University and his graduate research students will work on the development of the Anti-Brownian Electrophoretic [ABEL] trap. The trap will allow the trapping and manipulation of nanoscopic objects for chemical and physical studies. The ultimate goal of the project is to design a robust method for trapping and manipulating single molecules. Such a trap would find a wide variety of uses in the physical, chemical and biological sciences. A difficulty in studying single nanoscale objects in solution is that they are constantly buffeted by random forces from the solvent. This results in the familiar Brownian motion. The ABEL trap, to be developed by Moerner and his students, eliminates this by using fast microscopic imaging as the input to a feedback loop that governs the voltages on an electrophoretic cell, containing the sample. By adjusting the voltages, in real time, the random Brownian forces on the particle are countered with opposing electrophoretic forces. In this way, a single object can be held roughly stationary for extended periods or may be moved along a trajectory defined by the experimenter. This tool will be useful for studying single nanoscopic objects for extended periods of time in a single location, or for manipulating single objects or groups of objects to study chemical physical processes with exquisite control.