Manipulation of Microparticles in Optofluidic Devices Fabricated by Femtosecond Laser Micromachining

\nThis study reports the fabrication of three-dimensional microfluidic channels in fused silica, using femtosecond laser micromachining, to achieve two-dimensional hydrodynamic flow focusing in either the horizontal or the vertical directions. Spatial focusing of 3 μm polystyrene particles was successfully demonstrated, showing the ability of the fabricated devices to confine microparticles within a 6 μm layer over a channel width of 420 μm and within a 5 μm layer over a channel height of 260 μm. Integration of laser-direct written optical waveguides inside a microfluidic chip and orthogonal to the channel also enabled the implementation of a dual-beam optical trap, with trapping of polystyrene microparticles using a 1550 nm beam being demonstrated.\n