Practical guide to the realization of a convertible optical trapping system.

In this article, we provide a detailed guide to the construction of a convertible optical trapping system for either single-beam or counter-propagating trap. The single-beam trap maintains all the functionalities that a conventional optical tweezer has. While the counter-propagating trap allows for the trapping of particles that single-beam trap cannot handle. The counter-propagating trap can be easily switched to a single-beam trap, and vice versa. Therefore, this convertible optical trapping system allows for the trapping and manipulation of particles with a wide variety of sizes and materials.