Imaging and Analysis of Single Optically Trapped Gold Nanoparticles Using Spatial Modulation Spectroscopy.

The extinction cross sections and spectra of single nanoparticles can be directly measured by moving the particle in and out of a tightly focused laser beam. This technique, known as spatial modulation spectroscopy, yields detailed information about the size, shape, and environment of the particles. These experiments are typically done on particles immobilized on a substrate. Here we demonstrate for the first time the use of spatial modulation spectroscopy to interrogate single, optically trapped nanoparticles in solution. Gold nanoparticles as small as 15 nm were trapped and imaged. The experiments were performed by modulating the position of the probe laser beam while scanning it over the trapped particle with a galvo-scanning mirror system. This technique opens up the possibility of precisely measuring the optical properties of single nanoparticles in liquid environments, free from the influence of a surface.