Spring 2012:Leanna Morinishi Lab 1

Lab 1: Optical Trapping

If you did not do the thermal noise limit lab in 20.309 last semester, include at least one set of calibration results by the equipartition, PSD, and Stokes methods. Compare the results of the three calibration methods. Your report should explain what you set out to accomplish; how you did it; and document the results you got. Don't spend a lot of time explaining procedures that are well-documented elsewhere (such as in the optical trapping lab manual or the Appleyard paper). It's fine to refer to the sources, instead.

If you measured DNA tethers, provide estimates of the persistence and contour lengths. (This will require a calibration with .97 micron polystyrene microspheres.) If you haven't done much curve fitting or you would like some help understanding the theory, stop by during lab open hours and Prof. Nagle or I will get you pointed in the right direction.

x and y at 30mW

Optical stiffness with increasing laser power