Congratulations to Ikjun Hong! Ikjun’s article “Hybrid Optical and Diffusiophoretic Nanomanipulation Using All-Dielectric Anapole-Enhanced Thermonanophotonics” has been selected as a VINSE spotlight publication.
Ikjun Hong is a third-year graduate student pursuing a Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering under the guidance of Dr. Justus Ndukaife. Dr. Ndukaife’s research group specializes in multidisciplinary investigations, encompassing plasmonic and resonant dielectric nanostructures for efficient nano-optical trapping, manipulation, enhanced spectroscopy, and sensing of nanoscale objects. In a recent publication in ACS Photonics, Ikjun presents a noninvasive platform that combines the near-field optical gradient force from a non-radiating anapole nanoantenna with a diffusiophoretic force. The experimental demonstrations show the successful transport and manipulation of a nanoscale PS bead on anapole arrays, utilizing the ultra-low laser intensity of 0.2 mW/μm². The synergistic integration of the optical gradient force and the photothermally induced diffusiophoretic force holds immense potential for advancements in nanoscience and life science.