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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: EP/C510569/1
Title: Repair of millenia 532nm laser: optical guiding of atoms and studies in biophotonics
Principal Investigator: Dholakia, Professor K
Other Investigators:
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department: Physics and Astronomy
Organisation: University of St Andrews
Scheme: Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts: 01 September 2004 Ends: 31 August 2006 Value (£): 9,399
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Lasers & Optics Light-Matter Interactions
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
No relevance to Underpinning Sectors
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
The primary aim of this proposed project is to complete atom guiding and delivery in (a) free-space non zero order laser beams and (b) holey photonic crystal fibre (PCF). This proposal requests fund only to repair a Millenia laser. The PCF-based work embraces a recent breakthrough in optical fibre technology - the world's first hollow-core PCF in which the light is genuinely guided, in a single transverse mode, in a hollow tube. This air-core photonic band gap fibre makes feasible for the first time practical and enhanced atom and particle guiding over long distances (potentially metres) within flexible light pipes.In addition repair of the Millenia laser will allow for new studies in biophotonics and optical micromanipulation. The biophotonics work will look at neuronal and cell growth using laser light where the light optically guides and dictates growth direction. This process will be studied as a function of wavelength and power. Additionally we will investigate the use of patterned light (using dynamic holograms or otherwise) to facilitate growth of cells/neurons into specific structures.Finally we will look at optical levitation in a Bessel light beams where we believe we can observe long vertical particle chains due to an interplay between gravity, scattering and the self healing properties of the light beam. This may form a new type of optically bound matter.
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Organisation Website: http://www.st-and.ac.uk