Dry launching of silica nanoparticles in vacuum

Abstract

Clean loading of silica nanoparticles with a radius as small as ~50 nm is required for experiments in levitated optomechanics that operate in ultra-high vacuum. We present a cheap and simple experimental method for dry launching of silica nanoparticles by shaking from a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) surface. We report on the successful launching of single silica nanoparticles with a minimum radius of 43 nm, which is enabled by the low stiction to the launching surface. Nanoparticles with radii of 43 nm and 71.5 nm are launched with a high flux and small angular spread of $\sim \pm 10^{\circ }$, which allows for trapping in a tightly focused optical tweezer within a couple of minutes. The measured velocities are significantly smaller than 1 m/s. The demonstrated launching method allows for controlled loading of dry nanoparticles with radii as small as 43 nm into optical traps in (ultra-)high vacuum, although we anticipate that loading of smaller sizes is equally feasible.

arXiv comment7 pages, 7 figures

References in corpus (17)

• Motional Quantum Ground State of a Levitated Nanoparticle from Room Temperature
• Levitodynamics: Levitation and control of microscopic objects in vacuum
• Real-time optimal quantum control of mechanical motion at room temperature
• Quantum control of a nanoparticle optically levitated in cryogenic free space
• The effect of surface roughness on the adhesion of elastic solids
• Near-field interferometry of a free-falling nanoparticle from a point-like source
• Attonewton force detection using microspheres in a dual-beam optical trap in high vacuum
• Sensing of Static Forces with Free-Falling Nanoparticles
• Nonlinear dynamics and millikelvin cavity-cooling of levitated nanoparticles
• Direct Measurement of Kramers Turnover with a Levitated Nanoparticle
• Cavity cooling of free silicon nanoparticles in high-vacuum
• Two-dimensional quantum motion of a levitated nanosphere
• Long distance manipulation of a levitated nanoparticle in high vacuum
• Direct loading of nanoparticles under high vacuum into a Paul trap for levitodynamical experiments
• Optical trapping and control of nanoparticles inside evacuated hollow core photonic crystal fibers
• Transfer of a levitating nanoparticle between optical tweezers
• An apparatus for in-vacuum loading of nanoparticles into an optical trap

Cited by in corpus (3)

• Selective Loading of a Micrometer-Scale Particle into a Magneto-Gravitational Trap by Sublimation-Activated Release
• Differential Magnetic Force Microscopy with a Switchable Tip
• Modification of adhesion between microparticles and engineered silicon surfaces