Ashkin and colleagues: single-beam gradient-force optical trap

What changed

Reported a stable single-beam gradient-force optical trap for dielectric particles in water over sizes from roughly ten micrometres to about twenty-five nanometres.

Scientific scope

The record is the exact 1986 Optics Letters paper. Earlier radiation-pressure manipulation, later optical tweezers applications, atom trapping and biological-force measurements remain separate.

Evidence

The linked sources identify this contribution and its scope. WRS has not independently reconstructed the scientific claims. The record is the exact 1986 Optics Letters paper. Earlier radiation-pressure manipulation, later optical tweezers applications, atom trapping and biological-force measurements remain separate.

Contributors

• A. Ashkin · SCIENCE: Named source author of the scoped work; individual effort shares are not measured.
• J. M. Dziedzic · SCIENCE: Named source author of the scoped work; individual effort shares are not measured.
• J. E. Bjorkholm · SCIENCE: Named source author of the scoped work; individual effort shares are not measured.
• Steven Chu · SCIENCE: Named source author of the scoped work; individual effort shares are not measured.

• Optica record for the single-beam optical trap
• Crossref record for the single-beam optical trap

Provisional WRS assessment, edition 2026-10-16.1. Independent expert calibration is pending. This grade does not certify correctness or assign ownership.

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