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Torque and optical traps
Chieze Ibeneche
Center for Nonlinear Dynamics, University of Texas at
Austin, 1 University Station C1610, Austin, TX 78712,
USA. E-mail:
ibeneche@physics.utexas.edu. Tel: +1 512 471-3105.
Accepted 11 December, 2008 |
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Optical
traps are an important tool for research in the field of
single molecule biophysics. Recent advances in optical
trapping have extended their functionality from simple
linear manipulation and measurement of forces, to now the
ability to rotate objects and measure torques. This mini
review summarizes these recent developments of the optical
trap as a tool to apply and measure torque in biophysical
applications.
Key
words:
Torque,
optical trap, angular momentum, biophysics. |
