Optically Trappable Single Wall Carbon Nanotubes

We are developing a single walled carbon nanotube (NT) force probe which would utilize an optical trap to manipulate NTs fitted with micron scale dielectric handles. With its nanometer diameter and micron length a NT harnessed in this way may eventually allow us to probe a cell's membrane and interior. In pursuit of this goal we have developed a method to create parallel arrays of aligned NT cantilevers. In this process we transfer highly aligned NTs to a substrate composed of alternating regions of Si separated by SiO$_{2}$. Patterning the NTs and etching away the oxide leaves behind ridges supporting arrays of NT cantilevers 0.7nm-2nm in diameter and up to 700nm in length with densities of over one cantilever per micron. We will discuss our work modifying this technique to pattern and release micron scale NT cantilever probes into solution. We have designed and optically tested lithographically patterned SiO$_{2}$ and SU-8 handles, shaped such that they can be manipulated with an optical trap in predictable orientations. We will focus on our current efforts in attaching these optically trappable dielectric handles to individual nanotubes so they can be implemented to make direct force measurements.