Single-fiber optical tweezers with a novel 3D-printed hybrid photonic structure

Optical tweezers based on single optical fibers are typically fabricated with methods that grant only limited design flexibility in the trapping geometry. Here, we present a novel hybrid micro-optical structure 3D printed in a single step on a standard single-mode optical fiber, to create an ultra-compact fiber tweezer. The structure is made of stacked refractive, reflective, and waveguiding optical elements. Our approach allows an easy and independent tuning of trapping parameters as the numerical aperture and the working distance of the optical trap. We experimentally illustrate the 3D trapping capabilities of the proposed fiber optical tweezers.