The objective of this Action is to establish active links between European laboratories working in the field of optical manipulation and related applications and to foster and accelerate long-term development of this field in Europe. The goal is to increase knowledge about the basic mechanisms of optical trapping and to develop novel methods of manipulation, micro-patterning and imaging, to be exploited in the future bio-medical technology and in micro-mechanics. The scientific innovation concerns: basic mechanisms of the mechanical light-matter interaction; holographic techniques; nonlinear optical methods in microscopy and trapping. The potential impact on technology concerns the implementation of advanced equipment and devices for: nondestructive and non-invasive manipulation and imaging of micro-objects; patterning and templating of micro-devices; measurements in microfluidics. The scientific exchange resulting from the Action will facilitate the interconnections between these topics to obtain new results in the field of optical manipulation as well as to pave the way to new scientific understanding and technological advancement in the forthcoming era of nanobiotechnology.
Keywords : Optical Micro-Manipulation, Holographic Optical Tweezers, Micro-Patterning, Microfluidics, Biophotonics
