High-Resolution Dual-Trap Optical Tweezers with Differential Detection: Data Collection and Instrument Calibration
Adapted from Single-Molecule Techniques (eds. Selvin and Ha). CSHL Press, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA, 2008.INTRODUCTION
Optical traps or “optical tweezers” have become an indispensable tool in understanding fundamental biological processes. Dual-trap optical tweezers with differential detection have the advantage that the instrument is decoupled from sources of environmental noise, thereby minimizing interference of signal and maximizing stability and spatial resolution. In this article, we describe methods of data detection and calibration for our dual-trap design.
