optical tweezer

plural optical tweezers

1. A scientific instrument that uses a highly focused laser beam to hold and move the microscopic or smaller objects such as atoms and droplets, in a manner similar to tweezers.

   This angular momentum has been transferred to macroscopic particles trapped in an optical tweezer causing them to rotate.

   2003, L. Allen, Stephen M. Barnett, Miles J. Padgett, Optical Angular Momentum, page 240

   1 more example

   In order to make calibrated measurements from single molecules two more items are required: (1) a four-quadrant photodiode position sensor (4QD) to accurately measure the position of the bead held in the optical tweezer (Figure 12.5); […]

   2006, Banafshe Larijani, Colin A. Rosser, Rudiger Woscholski, Chemical Biology: Techniques and Applications, page 207