Silicon photonics for functional on-chip optical tweezers devices and circuits

Silicon photonics using waveguide-and microresonator-based devices are finding technologically important applications in the field of optofluidics. By integrating microfluidic channels on top of silicon-based planar devices, silicon photonic devices can function as on-chip optical tweezers to manipulate micro/nanoparticles. In this paper, we will highlight our recent progress in the field of optofluidics using silicon nitride devices for on-chip optical manipulation including the experimental demonstrations of: (i) planar optical tweezers using waveguide junctions with and without tapers, (ii) microparticle buffering and dropping on microring resonator devices upon linearly polarized light and (iii) microparticle trapping and assembling on circular microdisk resonators. Such devices can function as basic building blocks for "optical tweezers circuits" in lab-on-chip applications.