Nanoscale Force Measurement with Optical Tweezers: Applications and Future Prospects in Biophotonics

Abstract Optical tweezers have found extensive applications across the realms of biophysics and nanoscience due to its ability to capture particles at both micro‐ and nanoscales. Serving as nanoscale force sensors, optical tweezers are capable of measuring physical properties of nanoparticles with piconewton‐level precision, offering significantly higher accuracy compared to other measurement techniques, particularly for the biological samples. Given the rapid advancements in optical tweezers, a comprehensive review of their role in force measurement is imperative. This review begins with the fundamental interactions in biophysics, exploring how optical tweezers measure a variety of forces, such as the Casimir force, van der Waals force, and double‐layer forces. Subsequently, the recent development in the application of optical tweezers across biomedical fields is focused on, including studies of cells, nucleic acids, proteins, and quantum mechanics. Finally, a detailed assessment of the potential and limitations of force measurement utilizing advanced optical tweezer technologies, emphasizing their impact and future applicability in the fields of biophysics and biophotonics, is offered.