Nonlinear self-trapping and guiding of light at different wavelengths with sheep blood.

We demonstrate the formation of waveguides, a few centimeters long, in colloidal suspensions of sheep red blood cells for a wide range of wavelengths due to nonlinear self-trapping and self-guiding of a laser beam. The near infrared (NIR) light experiences a weaker nonlinear self-action and thus requires much higher power to obtain self-trapping as compared to visible light. To examine the waveguiding of light at different wavelengths, we utilize a pump-probe-type setting for beam coupling: a pump beam at a 532 nm wavelength is used to create a waveguide first, and then a probe beam with various wavelengths is sent through the waveguide channel. Effective guidance for both visible and NIR wavelengths is observed through such otherwise highly scattering bio-soft-matter.

Nonlinear Self-Action of Light through Biological Suspensions.

It is commonly thought that biological media cannot exhibit an appreciable nonlinear optical response. We demonstrate, for the first time to our knowledge, a tunable optical nonlinearity in suspensions of cyanobacteria that leads to robust propagation and strong self-action of a light beam. By deliberately altering the host environment of the marine bacteria, we show experimentally that nonlinear interaction can result in either deep penetration or enhanced scattering of light through the bacterial suspension, while the viability of the cells remains intact. A theoretical model is developed to show that a nonlocal nonlinearity mediated by optical forces (including both gradient and forward-scattering forces) acting on the bacteria explains our experimental observations.

Guiding and nonlinear coupling of light in plasmonic nanosuspensions.

We demonstrate two different types of coupled beam propagation dynamics in colloidal gold nanosuspensions. In the first case, an infrared (IR) probe beam (1064 nm) is guided by a low-power visible beam (532 nm) in a gold nanosphere or in nanorod suspensions due to the formation of a plasmonic resonant soliton. Although the IR beam does not experience nonlinear self-action effects, even at high power levels, needle-like deep penetration of both beams through otherwise highly dissipative suspensions is realized. In the second case, a master/slave-type nonlinear coupling is observed in gold nanoshell suspensions, in which the nanoparticles have opposite polarizabilities at the visible and IR wavelengths. In this latter regime, both beams experience a self-focusing nonlinearity that can be fine-tuned.

Biofilm formation and manipulation with optical tweezers.

Some bacterial species form biofilms in suboptimal growth and environmental conditions. Biofilm structures allow the cells not only to optimize growth with nutrient availability but also to defend each other against external stress, such as antibiotics. Medical and bioengineering implications of biofilms have led to an increased interest in the regulation of bacterial biofilm formation. Prior research has primarily focused on mechanical and chemical approaches for stimulating and controlling biofilm formation, yet optical techniques are still largely unexplored. In this paper, we investigate the biofilm formation of Bacillus subtilis in a minimum biofilm-promoting medium (MSgg media) and explore the potential of optical trapping in regulating bacterial aggregation and biofilm development. Specifically, we determine the most advantageous stage of bacterial biofilm formation for optical manipulation and investigate the impact of optical trapping at different wavelengths on the aggregation of bacterial cells and the formation of biofilm. The investigation of optically regulated biofilm formation with optical tweezers presents innovative methodologies for the stimulation and suppression of biofilm growth through the application of lasers.

Conservation of orbital angular momentum and polarization through biological waveguides.

A major roadblock to the development of photonic sensors is the scattering associated with many biological systems. We show the conservation of photonic states through optically self-arranged biological waveguides, for the first time, which can be implemented to transmit light through scattering media. The conservation of optical properties of light through biological waveguides allows for the transmission of high bandwidth information with low loss through scattering media. Here, we experimentally demonstrate the conservation of polarization state and orbital angular momentum of light through a self-arranged biological waveguide, several centimeters long, in a sheep red blood cell suspension. We utilize nonlinear optical effects to self-trap cells, which form waveguides at 532 nm and 780 nm wavelengths. Moreover, we use the formed waveguide channels to couple and guide probe beams without altering the information. The formed biological waveguides are in a sub-diffusive scattering regime, so the photons' information degrades insignificantly over several centimeters of propagation through the scattering media. Our results show the potential of biological waveguides as a methodology for the development of novel photonic biosensors, biomedical devices that require optical wireless communication, and the development of new approaches to noninvasive biomedical imaging.

Optical force-induced nonlinearity and self-guiding of light in human red blood cell suspensions.

Osmotic conditions play an important role in the cell properties of human red blood cells (RBCs), which are crucial for the pathological analysis of some blood diseases such as malaria. Over the past decades, numerous efforts have mainly focused on the study of the RBC biomechanical properties that arise from the unique deformability of erythrocytes. Here, we demonstrate nonlinear optical effects from human RBCs suspended in different osmotic solutions. Specifically, we observe self-trapping and scattering-resistant nonlinear propagation of a laser beam through RBC suspensions under all three osmotic conditions, where the strength of the optical nonlinearity increases with osmotic pressure on the cells. This tunable nonlinearity is attributed to optical forces, particularly the forward-scattering and gradient forces. Interestingly, in aged blood samples (with lysed cells), a notably different nonlinear behavior is observed due to the presence of free hemoglobin. We use a theoretical model with an optical force-mediated nonlocal nonlinearity to explain the experimental observations. Our work on light self-guiding through scattering bio-soft-matter may introduce new photonic tools for noninvasive biomedical imaging and medical diagnosis.

High Spatiotemporal Resolution Imaging with Localized Plasmonic Structured Illumination Microscopy.

Localized plasmonic structured illumination microscopy (LPSIM) provides multicolor wide-field super-resolution imaging with low phototoxicity and high-speed capability. LPSIM utilizes a nanoscale plasmonic antenna array to provide a series of tunable illumination patterns beyond the traditional diffraction limit, allowing for enhanced resolving powers down to a few tens of nanometers. Here, we demonstrate wide-field LPSIM with 50 nm spatial resolution at video rate speed by imaging microtubule dynamics with low illumination power intensity. The design of the LPSIM system makes it suitable for imaging surface effects of cells and tissues with regular sample preparation protocols. LPSIM can be extended to much higher resolution, representing an excellent technology for live-cell imaging of protein dynamics and interactions.

Localized plasmonic structured illumination microscopy with an optically trapped microlens.

Localized plasmonic structured illumination microscopy (LPSIM) is a recently developed super resolution technique that demonstrates immense potential via arrays of localized plasmonic antennas. Microlens microscopy represents another distinct approach for improving resolution by introducing a spherical lens with a large refractive index to boost the effective numerical aperture of the imaging system. In this paper, we bridge together the LPSIM and optically trapped spherical microlenses, for the first time, to demonstrate a new super resolution technique for surface imaging. By trapping and moving polystyrene and TiO2 microspheres with optical tweezers on top of a LPSIM substrate, the new imaging system has achieved a higher NA and improved resolution.

Experimental Demonstration of Localized Plasmonic Structured Illumination Microscopy.

Super-resolution imaging methods such as structured illumination microscopy and others have offered various compromises between resolution, imaging speed, and biocompatibility. Here we experimentally demonstrate a physical mechanism for super-resolution that offers advantages over existing technologies. Using finely structured, resonant, and controllable near-field excitation from localized surface plasmons in a planar nanoantenna array, we achieve wide-field surface imaging with resolution down to 75 nm while maintaining reasonable speed and compatibility with biological specimens.

Observation of topological transformations of optical vortices in two-dimensional photonic lattices.

We study interaction of a discrete vortex with a supporting photonic lattice and analyze how the combined action of the lattice periodicity and the medium nonlinearity can modify the vortex structure. In particular, we describe theoretically and observe in experiment, for the first time to our knowledge, the nontrivial topological transformations of the discrete vortex including the flipping of vortex charge and inversion of its orbital angular momentum. We also demonstrate the stabilizing effect of the interaction with the so-called "mixed" optically-induced photonic lattices on the vortex propagation and topological structure.

Optical disassembly of cellular clusters by tunable 'tug-of-war' tweezers.

Bacterial biofilms underlie many persistent infections, posing major hurdles in antibiotic treatment. Here we design and demonstrate 'tug-of-war' optical tweezers that can facilitate the assessment of cell-cell adhesion-a key contributing factor to biofilm development, thanks to the combined actions of optical scattering and gradient forces. With a customized optical landscape distinct from that of conventional tweezers, not only can such 'tug-of-war' tweezers stably trap and stretch a rod-shaped bacterium in the observing plane, but, more importantly, they can also impose a tunable lateral force that pulls apart cellular clusters without any tethering or mechanical movement. As a proof of principle, we examined a Sinorhizobium meliloti strain that forms robust biofilms and found that the strength of intercellular adhesion depends on the growth medium. This technique may herald new photonic tools for optical manipulation and biofilm study, as well as other biological applications.

Observation of two-dimensional surface solitons.

We report the first experimental observation of two-dimensional surface solitons at the boundaries (edges or corners) of a finite optically induced photonic lattice. Both in-phase and gap nonlinear surface self-trapped states were observed under single-site excitation conditions. Our experimental results are in good agreement with theoretical predictions.

Self-trapping and flipping of double-charged vortices in optically induced photonic lattices.

We report what is believed to be the first observation of self-trapping and charge-flipping of double-charged optical vortices in two-dimensional photonic lattices. Both on- and off-site excitations lead to the formation of rotating quasi-vortex solitons, reversing the topological charges and the direction of rotation through a quadrupole-like transition state. Experimental results are corroborated with numerical simulations.

Observation of two-dimensional lattice vector solitons.

We demonstrate the formation of fundamental and dipolelike vector solitons in an optically induced two-dimensional photonic lattice. Such vector solitons are realized by mutual trapping of two beams in the lattice. Our theoretical results are in good agreement with experimental observations.

Dipole solitons in optically induced two-dimensional photonic lattices.

Dipole solitons in a two-dimensional optically induced photonic lattice are theoretically predicted and experimentally demonstrated for the first time to our knowledge. It is shown that such dipole solitons are stable and robust under appropriate conditions. Our experimental results are in good agreement with theoretical predictions.

Anisotropic enhancement of discrete diffraction and formation of two-dimensional discrete-soliton trains.

We demonstrate anisotropic enhancement of discrete diffraction and formation of discrete-soliton trains in an optically induced photonic lattice. Such discrete behavior of light propagation was observed when a one-dimensional stripe beam was launched appropriately into a two-dimensional lattice created with partially coherent light. Our experimental results are corroborated with numerical simulations.