The cytoskeleton is a major determinant of the mechanical strength and morphology of most
cells. The composition and assembly state of this intracellular polymer network evolve …

Photoactuators with integrated optical‐to‐mechanical energy conversion capacity have
attracted growing research interest in the last few decades due to their unique features of …

The most commonly observed quantity related to light is its power or, equivalently, its
energy. It can be either measured with a bolometer, a photodiode, or estimated with the …

Undoubtedly, laser tweezers are the most recognized application of optically induced
mechanical action. Their operation is usually described in terms of conservative forces …

Conventional theories of electromagnetic waves in a medium assume that the energy
propagating with the light pulse in the medium is entirely carried by the field. Thus, the …

In this work, we review the main existing theories for the electromagnetic stress–energy
tensor in dielectric media—a problem directly related to the century-long debate regarding …

The question of how much momentum light carries in media has been debated for over a
century. Two rivalling theories, one from 1908 by Hermann Minkowski and the other from …

Bringing together many landmark papers on the field, this compendium covers the
techniques and applications of optical tweezers. It covers Arthur Ashkin's initial work on …

Electrostriction, the deformation of dielectric materials under the influence of an electric field,
is of continuous interest in optics. The classic experiment by Hakim and Higham [Proc. Phys …

Optofluidics is an emerging field that involves the use of fluids to modify optical properties
and the use of optical devices to detect flowing media. Ultimately, its value is highly …