Optical tweezers as a mathematically driven spatio-temporal potential generator

The ability to create and manipulate the spatio-temporal potentials is essential in the diverse fields of science and technology. Here, we introduce an optical feedback trap system based on a high precision position detection and an ultrafast feedback control of a Brownian particle in the optical tweezers to generate spatio-temporal virtual potentials of the desired shape in a controlled manner. As an application, we study nonequilibrium fluctuation dynamics of the particle in a time-varying virtual harmonic potential and validate the Crooks fluctuation theorem in highly nonequilibrium condition.