Temporão for granting me complete liberty to pursue and explore different research topics, if not for that, these last 2 years would've been completely different. To my co-advisor, Thiago Guerreiro, for the support and guidance through all the experiments, for welcoming me and allowing that I, a completely random guy from the south of Brazil, could start working with optomechanics and optical tweezers. Thanks to both, I am more than certain about what path I want to follow.To Professor Lukas Novotny, I extend my thanks for sharing the FPGA projects that allowed us to test, examine, and further enhance our understanding of parametric cooling. Additionally, for his provision of exemplars of the Lightpath aspherical lens, which will be crucial for future cooling experiments.I must also express my gratitude to Professor Jean Pierre von der Weid. In the same week I started the final cooling measurements, our 1550 nm laser broke. If it weren't for him lending us his laser, there would be no measurements, no cooling and no Chapter 5.I would like to thank all my friends from the laboratory, for their help and teachings. Balancing my master's degree with a full-time job presented its challenges and moments of stress, in the end, I think surpassing all this would not have been possible without the environment you built. The lab is a truly amazing place to be, and this is mostly due to the people who are in it.To my closest friends, I thank you for all the support during the last years. To my colleagues and friends from work, for your patience and comprehension.I would like to thank my family. My brother, for being such a reference of researcher and professional, and for being truly by my side when I needed, even in the most difficult moments. My mother, for raising me into the man that I am today. My father passed away in 2009, and since then, she single-handed raised me and my brother, and I am here only due to all the sacrifices that she, without thinking twice, did.Lastly, this work was only possible because of my father. Nearly 15 years after his passing, I still find myself thinking about the things he taught me. He was an example of man, father, friend, professor and professional, if I am who I am today, it is because of him, for showing me the value of education, hard work and passion. Time passes and my gratitude and admiration towards him only grows, as does my love and, of course, the saudade.