Decoupled and simultaneous threedimensional imaging and optical manipulation through a single objective

© 2014 Optical Society of America. The combination of optical manipulation and threedimensional imaging is a central technique in fields ranging from medicine to physics. Using the objective lens simultaneously for optical trapping and imaging, however, inherently confines the trapping and imaging planes to the same focal plane. Here, we combine remote refocusing microscopy and optical trapping to optically decouple the imaging and trapping planes, achieving aberration-free three-dimensional imaging and simultaneous, decoupled optical trapping without the need for feedback or aberration corrections. We demonstrate our approach by directly imaging the flow field around optically trapped spheres in three dimensions. Due to its compatibility with other imaging and optical manipulation techniques, our approach is relevant to the wide range of fields that combine imaging and optical manipulation, such as physical chemistry, cell biology, and soft matter.