Optical tweezers as a mathematically driven spatio-temporal potential generator

The ability to create and manipulate spatio-temporal potentials is essential in the diverse fields of science and technology. Here, we introduce an optical feedback trap system based on high precision position detection and ultrafast feedback control of a Brownian particle in the optical tweezers to generate spatio-temporal virtual potentials of the desired shape in a controlled manner. As an application, we study the nonequilibrium fluctuation dynamics of the particle in a time-varying virtual harmonic potential and validate the Crooks fluctuation theorem in the highly nonequilibrium condition.© 2018 Optical Society of America under the terms of the OSA Open Access Publishing Agreement11sciescopu