Microscopic viscosity measurement using orbital rotation in dual-beam fiber-optic trap with transverse offset

We presented an optical system that could measure the viscosity coefficient of liquid in a micro-area. The orbital rotation of a polystyrene microsphere was realized by a dual-beam fiber-optic trap with a transverse offset. The rotation rate increased with the viscosity coefficient of the environmental medium. On this basis, the viscosity coefficients of ethanol solutions with different concentrations were measured successfully. The volume of solution samples was less than 1  μL. This provides a basis for the viscosity measurement of rare liquid or enchylema, which is of great significance for biological applications such as cell characteristics and reaction dynamics.