Séminaire LCPMR | Loic Rondin "Optical levitation of particles for nano-physics""

The opportunity to finely control the coupling between a nanoparticle and its environment offers exciting perspectives, from the development of ultrasensitive force sensors to macroscopic quantum physics tests, through the study of nano-physics and chemistry at the scale of a single particle [1].  Over the last decade, such control has been demonstrated using optical levitation of nanoparticles in vacuum.
Here, I will introduce the principle of optical tweezers and their application to levitation. I will then discuss recent results on the study of the thermal properties of nanodiamonds at the single particle level and the impact on the nanothermodynamics of the levitated particle.

[1] Gonzalez-Ballestero, C., Aspelmeyer, M., Novotny, L., Quidant, R. & Romero-Isart, O.
Levitodynamics: Levitation and control of microscopic objects in vacuum.
Science 374, eabg3027 (2021)