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  • Open Access

Structures resistant to manipulation by all wavefronts in two dimensions

Asher Sabbagh1, Michael Horodynski1,2,*, Rida Khan1, Brian Shi1, and Marin Soljačić1,3

  • *Contact author: michael.horodynski@tuwien.ac.at
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Phys. Rev. Research 8, 043095 – Published 27 October, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/65mv-wdvr

Abstract

Using light to manipulate small particles is a powerful tool with numerous practical applications across biophysics and nanotechnology. This experimental technique has achieved significant performance gains by employing shaped wavefronts, most commonly generated with spatial light modulators. Wavefront shaping has also enabled the manipulation of seemingly arbitrary objects beyond the reach of conventional beams. Contrary to this established assumption, we show here the existence of a wide variety of objects resistant to manipulation, even with the optimal wavefront shaping protocol. The counterintuitive shapes of these objects are found using inverse design in two dimensions, providing a foundation for their natural extension to three dimensions. Specifically, we show that the maximal pulling force is reduced by up to 4 orders of magnitude, and the maximal trapping stiffness is reduced by up to nearly 2 orders of magnitude. Our findings could prove useful for the development of micromachines that require a predictable mechanical response to arbitrary waves.

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Outline

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Phys. Rev. Research 8, 043095– Published 27 October, 2026
  • Received 13 March 2026
  • Accepted 1 October 2026
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Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI.

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