Parallel nanophotonic trapping platform enabled by photolithographic scalability

Developed a parallel nanophotonic trapping platform that enables rapid and simultaneous manipulation of multiple nanoscale particles using photolithographically fabricated structures. Unlike conventional optical tweezers that rely on sequential, single-beam trapping, this approach leverages large-area nanostructure arrays to achieve massively parallel trapping.

The system utilizes lithographically defined nanophotonic features to generate localized near-field enhancements, creating an array of optical trapping sites across the substrate. This enables high-throughput trapping and positioning of nanoparticles and extracellular vesicles (EVs) in parallel, significantly improving experimental speed and scalability.

By combining structured light–matter interaction with scalable fabrication techniques, the platform transforms optical trapping from a single-particle technique into a parallelized system suitable for statistical analysis and high-throughput sensing.

Interferometric imaging (iSCAT/COBRI) is integrated for real-time detection of trapped particles, allowing simultaneous monitoring of multiple trapping events. Image processing and automated analysis pipelines are used to extract particle trajectories and quantify system performance across large ensembles.

This work highlights expertise in nanophotonic design, photolithography-based device fabrication, and system-level engineering of scalable optical trapping platforms for high-throughput nanoscale manipulation and sensing.