Frequency-dependent behaviors of individual microscopic particles in an optically induced dielectrophoresis device

Abstract

An optoelectronic microdevice is set up to drive single microparticles and a maximum synchronous velocity (MS-velocity) spectrum method is proposed for quantifying the frequency-dependent behaviors of individual neutral microparticles from 40 kHz to 10 MHz. Dielectrophoretic behaviors of three types of microparticles are investigated under the optically induced nonuniform electric field. Different MSvelocity spectra for the three different particles are experimentally found. Numerical calculations for the MS-velocity spectra of polystyrene microparticles are performed. The spectrum of the MS-velocities for a specific particle is mainly determined by the particle inherent property and the electric characteristics of the device. Moreover the experimental and the numerical MS-velocity spectra are compared to be accordant. Based on the dielectrophoretic (DEP) behaviors of the particles under a nonuniform electric field, microparticles can be finely characterized or distinguished according to their distinct MS-velocity spectra. © 2010 American Institute of Physics.