Optical Particle Trapping with Higher-order Doughnut Beams Produced Using High Efficiency Computer Generated Holograms

Abstract
Laser beams containing higher-order phase singularities can be produced with high efficiency computer generated holograms made with very simple equipment. Using such holograms in an optical tweezers experiment we have successfully trapped reflective and absorptive particles in the dark central spot of a focused charge 3 singularity beam. Angular momentum absorbed from the beam can set particles into rotation.