Closed-loop optoelectronic tweezers system for programmable multiparticle manipulation and dynamic configuration reconstruction.

Abstract

Optoelectronic tweezers provide a powerful means for manipulating microscopic objects with low optical power, yet their practical throughput remains constrained because the manipulation time typically increases with the number of targets. Here, we demonstrate a scalable strategy for parallel optoelectronic tweezers manipulation that enables independent yet coordinated control of multiple particles while maintaining near-constant operation time as system size increases. Through real-time adaptive coordination of particle motion and dynamic light-field allocation, the platform simultaneously transports, assembles, and reconfigures multiple targets within a unified framework. Experiments show that the total manipulation time remains nearly unchanged from 1 to 18 particles (32.0 ± 5 s) and achieves more than 90% time reduction relative to conventional serial operation for particle numbers exceeding 20 while maintaining micrometer-scale positioning accuracy (1.63-2.61 μm). Beyond high-throughput transport, the approach enables the programmable assembly of complex structures and continuous multi-round topological reconfiguration with preserved synchronization and structural integrity. By decoupling manipulation efficiency from target number, this work advances optoelectronic tweezers from sequential object handling toward scalable microsystem control and establishes a foundation for reconfigurable cell arrays, microrobotic swarms, and dynamic microsystems.