Controlling colloidal self-organization with light

It is known that light can be used to manipulate and trap colloidal microspheres. What is less known is a second effect where two or more microspheres placed in a uniform field can manipulate and trap each other. This is effectively an inter-particle interaction mediated by a light field, which offers the ability to tune the strength of the interaction and shape of the potential by relatively simple means. We will share how we create “optically-bound” structures using this pathway of self-organization. We also share our attempts to understand the highly dynamical nature of these new structures; primarily, the emergence of driven behavior and spontaneous collapsing of stability.