Optical Trapping and Torquing of C60 Nanorods

We have optically trapped and studied C60 polymer nanorods with diameters of 300-500 nm and lengths of 1-3 microns.~ The primary goal is to measure opto-electronic properties of the C60 polymer rods.~ This is accomplished by observing the rotational motion of the rods in a water sample when a light torque is applied. We also hope to report on opto-electronic properties of even smaller rod-shaped objects (of diameters less than 100 nm).~