The Optical Tweezers and the Nobel Prize in Physics

Abstract

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2018 to three scientists, Arthur Ashkin of Bell Laboratories, Holmdel, USA, Gérard Mourou of the École Polytechnique, Palaiseau, France, and University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA, and Donna Strickland of the University of Waterloo, Canada. Inventions that were distinguished with the award revolutionized laser physics. Extremely small objects and incredibly fast processes are now being seen by the incidence of light. These advanced and accurate instruments are opening up areas of research yet to be explored and can be used in many industrial and medical applications.