Waveguide Microactuators Self‐Rolled Around an Optical Fiber Taper
Abstract
Abstract Precisely capturing and manipulating microscale objects, such as individual cells and microorganisms, is fundamental to advancements in biomedical research and microrobotics. Photoactuators based on optical fibers serving as flexible, unobstructed waveguides are well‐suited for these operations, particularly in confined locations where free‐space illumination is impractical. However, integrating optical fibers with microscale actuators poses significant challenges due to size mismatch, resulting in slow responses inadequate for handling motile micro‐objects. This study designs microactuators based on hydrogel/Au bilayer heterostructures that self‐roll around a tapered optical fiber. This self‐rolling mechanism enables the use of thin hydrogel layers only a few micrometers thick, which rapidly absorb and release water molecules during a phase transition. The resulting microactuators exhibit low bending stiffness and extremely fast responses, achieving large bending angles exceeding 800° within 0.55 s. Using this technique, this study successfully captures rapidly swimming Chlamydomonas and Paramecium, and demonstrates programmable non‐reciprocal motion for effective non‐contact manipulation of yeast cells. This approach provides a versatile platform for microscale manipulations and holds promise for advanced biomedical applications.
Article Details
Authors (13)
Yang Zong
Minjie Xi
Department of Materials Science Fudan University Shanghai 200438 China
Yunqi Wang
International Institute of Intelligent Nanorobots and Nanosystems & State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, College of Intelligent Robotics and Advanced Manufacturing, Fudan University
Guohonghao Zeng
International Institute for Intelligent Nanorobots and Nanosystems College of Intelligent Robotics and Advanced Manufacturing State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, and State Key Laboratory of Photovoltaic Science and Technology Fudan University Shanghai P. R. China
Dongliang Hu
School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study
Huihui Hu
Xiaoqi Hou
School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study
Kewang Nan
Xiangzhong Chen
International Institute of Intelligent Nanorobots and Nanosystems & State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, College of Intelligent Robotics and Advanced Manufacturing, Fudan University
Fan Xu
CAS Key Laboratory of Colloid, Interface and Thermodynamics
Oliver G. Schmidt
Yongfeng Mei
International Institute of Intelligent Nanorobots and Nanosystems & State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, College of Intelligent Robotics and Advanced Manufacturing, Fudan University
Jizhai Cui
International Institute of Intelligent Nanorobots and Nanosystems & State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, College of Intelligent Robotics and Advanced Manufacturing, Fudan University