We have developed a microrheometer, based on optical tweezers, in which hydrodynamic coupling between the probe and fluid boundaries is dramatically reduced relative to existing microrheometers. Rotational Brownian motion of a birefringent microsphere within an angular optical trap is observed by measuring the polarisation shifts of transmitted light. Data gathered in this manner, in the strongly viscoelastic fluid Celluvisc, quantitatively agree with the results of conventional (bulk) rheometry. Our technique will significantly reduce the smallest sample volumes which may be reliably probed, further extending the study of rare, difficult to obtain or highly nonhomogeneous fluids.

Computational modelling has made many useful contributions to the field of optical tweezers. One aspect in which it can be applied is the simulation of the dynamics of particles in optical tweezers. This can be useful for systems with many degrees of freedom, and for the simulation of experiments. While modelling of the optical force is a prerequisite for simulation of the motion of particles in optical traps, non-optical forces must also be included; the most important are usually Brownian motion and viscous drag. We discuss some applications and examples of such simulations. We review the theory and practical principles of simulation of optical tweezers, including the choice of method of calculation of optical force, numerical solution of the equations of motion of the particle, and finish with a discussion of a range of open problems.

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Active particle tracking microrheometers have the potential to perform accurate broad-band measurements of viscoelasticity within microscopic systems. Generally, their largest possible precision is limited by Brownian motion and low frequency changes to the system. The signal to noise ratio is usually improved by increasing the size of the driven motion compared to the Brownian as well as averaging over repeated measurements. New theory is presented here whereby error in measurements of the complex shear modulus can be significantly reduced by analysing the motion of a spherical particle driven by non-linear forces. In some scenarios error can be further reduced by applying a variable transformation which linearises the equation of motion. This enables normalisation that eliminates error introduced by low frequency drift in the particle's equilibrium position. Our measurements indicate that this can further resolve an additional decade of viscoelasticity at high frequencies. Using this method will easily increase the signal strength enough to significantly reduce the measurement time for the same error. Thus the method is more conducive to measuring viscoelasticity in slowly changing microscopic systems, such as a living cell.

Exploring the rheological properties of intracellular materials is essential for understanding cellular and subcellular processes. Optical traps have been widely used for physical manipulation of micro and nano objects within fluids enabling studies of biological systems. However, experiments remain challenging as it is unclear how the probe particle's mobility is influenced by the nearby membranes and organelles. We use liposomes (unilamellar lipid vesicles) as a simple biomimetic model of living cells, together with a trapped particle rotated by optical tweezers to study mechanical and rheological properties inside a liposome both theoretically and experimentally. Here, we demonstrate that this system has the capacity to predict the hydrodynamic interaction between three‐dimensional spatial membranes and internal probe particles within submicron distances, and it has the potential to aid in the design of high resolution optical micro/nanorheology techniques to be used inside living cells.