Related papers: Photophoretic Levitation of Macroscopic Nanocardbo…
We report light-driven levitation of macroscopic polymer films whose bottom surface is engineered to maximize the thermal accommodation coefficient. Specifically, we levitated centimeter-scale disks made of commercial 0.5-micron-thick mylar…
Photophoretic levitation is a propulsion mechanism in which lightweight objects can be lifted and controlled through their interactions with light. Since photophoretic forces on macroscopic objects are usually maximized at low pressures,…
We show that photophoretic aircraft would greatly benefit from a three-dimensional (3D) hollow geometry that pumps ambient air through sidewalls to create a high-speed jet. To identify optimal geometries, we developed a theoretical…
The goal of ultrathin lightweight photophoretic flyers, or light-flyers for short, is to levitate continuously in Earth's upper atmosphere using only sunlight for propulsive power. We previously reported light-flyers that levitated by…
Separation and transportation of small particles are important processes in various applications such as the food and pharmaceutical industries. Although mechanical, chemical or electrical methods can provide possible solutions, operational…
Photophoretic forces could levitate thin 10 centimeter-scale structures in Earth's stratosphere indefinitely. We develop analytical models of the thermal transpiration force on a bilayer sandwich structure in the stratosphere. Lofting is…
Since the historical experiments of Crookes, the direct manipulation of matter by light has been both a challenge and a source of scientific debate. Here we show that laser illumination allows to displace a vial of nanoparticle solution…
In optically thin parts of protoplanetary disks photophoresis is a significant force not just for dust grains, but also for macroscopic bodies. The absolute strength on the supposedly highly porous objects is not known in detail as yet. We…
The transfer of angular momentum carried by photons into a microobject has been widely exploited to achieve the actuation of the microobject. However, this scheme is fundamentally defective in nonliquid environments as a result of the scale…
Multilayer microparticles with a liquid core and a polycomposite light-absorbing shell (microcapsules) are important components of modern bio- and medical technologies. Opening of the microcapsule shell and payload release can be realized…
Fabricating high-performance and/or high-density flexible electronics on plastic substrates is often limited by the poor dimensional stability of polymer substrates. This can be mitigated by using glass carriers during fabrication, but…
Optically-induced magnetic resonances in non-magnetic media have unlocked magnetic light-matter interactions and led to new technologies in many research fields. Previous proposals for the levitation of nanoscale particles without…
The quintessential hallmark distinguishing metasurfaces from traditional optical components is the engineering of subwavelength meta-atoms to manipulate light at will. Enabling this freedom, in a reverse manner, to control objects…
The photoionization-driven evaporation of planetary atmospheres has emerged as a potentially fundamental process for planets on short period orbits. While 1-D studies have proven the effectiveness of stellar fluxes at altering the…
Rotation in micro/nanoscale provides extensive applications in mechanical actuation$^{1, 2}$, cargo delivery$^{3, 4}$, and biomolecule manipulation$^{5, 6}$. Light can be used to induce a mechanical rotation remotely, instantly and…
Lightsail spacecraft, propelled to relativistic velocities via photon pressure using high power density laser radiation, offer a potentially new route to space exploration within and beyond the solar system, extending to interstellar…
The physical size of optical imaging systems is one of the greatest constraints on their use, limiting the performance and deployment of a range of systems from telescopes to mobile phone cameras. Spaceplates are nonlocal optical devices…
Space exploration is of paramount importance to advancing fundamental science and providing global services, such as navigation and communications. However, today's space missions are hindered by limitations of existing propulsion…
Aerosol particles experience significant photophoretic forces at low pressure. Previous work assumed the average particle temperature to be very close to the gas temperature. This might not always be the case. If the particle temperature or…
Levitated dielectric particles in a vacuum have emerged as a new platform in quantum science, with applications ranging from precision acceleration and force sensing to testing quantum physics beyond the microscopic domain. Traditionally,…