Trapping and manipulation of a microbubble in 3D through temperature gradients

We present both the 3D trapping and manipulation of microbubbles by temperature gradients, induced by low power CW laser in absorbing liquid (ethanol). Two optical fibers were used: a multimode one for bubble generation and a single-mode one for both trapping and manipulating. One distal end of the multimode fiber was coupled to a Qswitched pulsed laser (λ=532 nm and pulse width τp=5 ns). The light propagates in the fiber and gets absorbed at silver nanoparticles, previously photodeposed at the other distal end, heating up the surrounding liquid and generating the microbubbles. On the other hand, a CW laser (λ = 1550 nm) was coupled to one distal end of the single-mode fiber, the other distal end was immersed in ethanol, inducing thermocapillary force, also called Marangoni force, that is the cornerstone in the trapping and manipulating of bubbles. The bubble generated on the multimode fiber travels towards the single-mode fiber by a careful switching of the temperature gradients. In addition to the Marangoni force, the microbubble immersed in ethanol suffers both drag force and buoyancy force. So, the equilibrium among these forces drives the 3D trapping and manipulation of the microbubble. To our best knowledge, this is the first time that 3D trapping and manipulation using low CW power es presented.