Holographic optical trapping of aerosol droplets

We demonstrate the use of holographic optical tweezers for trapping particles in air, specifically aerosol droplets. We show the trapping and manipulation of arrays of liquid aerosols as well as the controlled coagulation of two or more droplets. We discuss the ability of spatial light modulators to manipulate airborne droplets in real time as well as highlight the difficulties associated with loading and trapping particles in such an environment. We conclude with a discussion of some of the applications of such a technique. (c) 2006 Optical Society of America