Patent ID: 7459674

Claim:
Optical tweezers capable of forming an optical trap for trapping an object in each of plural trapping positions and the vicinity thereof by converging plural output beams in each of said trapping positions, comprising: light emitting means for outputting a reading light; phase pattern generating means for generating an output phase pattern by arranging plural partial phase patterns two-dimensionally after preparing said plural partial phase patterns divided into groups such that at least one of said partial phase patterns corresponds to each of said plural trapping positions, each of said partial phase patterns causing an output beam to converge in a corresponding trapping position; and a spatial light modulator for generating said plural output beams, each of which has been phase-modulated in accordance with said output phase pattern, from said reading light which reaches said spatial light modulator, wherein said phase pattern generating means generate said output phase pattern where said plural partial phase patterns are two-dimensionally arranged such that one partial phase pattern belonging to a group which corresponds to one of said plural trapping positions is apart from at least one of the other partial phase patterns belonging to said group.