Optical sorting: past, present and future

Optical sorting combines optical tweezers with diverse techniques, including optical spectrum, artificial intelligence (AI) and immunoassay, to endow unprecedented capabilities in particle sorting. In comparison to other methods such as microfluidics, acoustics and electrophoresis, optical sorting offers appreciable advantages in nanoscale precision, high resolution, non-invasiveness, and is becoming increasingly indispensable in fields of biophysics, chemistry, and materials science. This review aims to offer a comprehensive overview of the history, development, and perspectives of various optical sorting techniques, categorised as passive and active sorting methods. To begin, we elucidate the fundamental…

• NN
  National Natural Science Foundation of China

  Awards: 62205246, 61925504, 61621001, 62192770, 62192772, 12274296, 62020106009 and 62111530053
• SM
  Shanghai Municipal Education Commission

  Award: 17SG22
• SA
  Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality

  Awards: 17JC1400800, 20JC1414600, 21JC1406100 and 22ZR1432400, 22ZR1432400