Researchers from the Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have developed microscopic vehicles that are powered by light. The breakthrough was made layers of an optical metasurface were combined with a microscopic particle. After building the vehicles, the team was able to use a light source to control them.
The researchers were able to move their tiny vehicles in complex and precise ways. The team also used their metavehicles to transport other objects. They learned that unfocused light can be used to maneuver extremely small, microscopic particles in a precise way.
Could be useful for optical devices
Microscopic vehicles built during the research are the scale of 10 micrometers wide and one micrometer thick, which is one-thousandth of a millimeter. The small particles are made of the tiny particles themselves coated with a metasurface, which is an extremely thin arrangement of nanoparticles that are specifically designed.
Researchers believe the invention could come in handy to improve components for optical devices such as cameras, microscopes, and displays. The tiny metavehicles were placed in the bottom of a water dish. A laser was then used to direct a plane wave of light onto the particles.
Making precise movements without hiccups
The team was able to control the vehicles in several patterns by adjusting the intensity and polarization of light. The metavehicles were stable enough, and the team could control them precisely enough that they could come in handy for more complicated navigation. The heat from the light source does not affect the movement of particles.
The team was also able to use the metavehicles to push small particles inside the tank. During the experiment, the tiny objects were able to push microscopic polystyrene beads and yeast particles through the water. They also pushed a dust particle 15 times the size of the metavehicle itself.
Previously, researchers at Imperial College London experimenting on engineered living materials (ELMs) to leverage their ability to heal a material innate in biology. They believe ELMs respond to damage that happens due to harsh environments with the aid of an integrated system-and-response system.
