Discharge at the microscale: Using optical tweezers to observe Muon-induced discharges of a levitated microparticle in air
Stöllner A, Lenton ICD, Muller CJ, Waitukaitis SR. Discharge at the microscale: Using optical tweezers to observe Muon-induced discharges of a levitated microparticle in air. arXiv, 10.48550/arXiv.2604.16040.
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Abstract
Electrical discharge at the smallest possible length and charge scales is not well understood. Using optical tweezers, we investigate spontaneous discharges of a single micron-scale particle levitated in air. These ``microdischarges'' have a typical size of $\sim$40 $|e|$, but can be as small as a few $|e|$ and as large as several hundred. The absence of a well-defined trigger charge and the weak dependence on particle size suggest events are not classical gaseous breakdown. Instead, we show that microdischarge events arise from the rapid capture of ions left in the tracks of nearby passing ionizing radiation. Our results highlight the role of natural ionizing radiation in initiating micron-scale discharges and provide a platform for studying discharge physics in electrode-free environments and at the smallest scales.
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Date Published
2026-04-17
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arXiv
Acknowledgement
We thank Todor Asenov and Abdulhamid Baghdadi
for their outstanding technical support. This project
has received funding from the European Research Council
(ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research
and innovation programme (Grant agreements No. 949120
and No. 805041). This research was supported by the
Scientific Service Units of The Institute of Science and
Technology Austria (ISTA) through resources provided
by the Miba Machine Shop.
Acknowledged SSUs
IST-REx-ID
Cite this
Stöllner A, Lenton ICD, Muller CJ, Waitukaitis SR. Discharge at the microscale: Using optical tweezers to observe Muon-induced discharges of a levitated microparticle in air. arXiv. doi:10.48550/arXiv.2604.16040
Stöllner, A., Lenton, I. C. D., Muller, C. J., & Waitukaitis, S. R. (n.d.). Discharge at the microscale: Using optical tweezers to observe Muon-induced discharges of a levitated microparticle in air. arXiv. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2604.16040
Stöllner, Andrea, Isaac C. D. Lenton, Caroline J Muller, and Scott R Waitukaitis. “Discharge at the Microscale: Using Optical Tweezers to Observe Muon-Induced Discharges of a Levitated Microparticle in Air.” ArXiv, n.d. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2604.16040.
A. Stöllner, I. C. D. Lenton, C. J. Muller, and S. R. Waitukaitis, “Discharge at the microscale: Using optical tweezers to observe Muon-induced discharges of a levitated microparticle in air,” arXiv. .
Stöllner A, Lenton ICD, Muller CJ, Waitukaitis SR. Discharge at the microscale: Using optical tweezers to observe Muon-induced discharges of a levitated microparticle in air. arXiv, 10.48550/arXiv.2604.16040.
Stöllner, Andrea, et al. “Discharge at the Microscale: Using Optical Tweezers to Observe Muon-Induced Discharges of a Levitated Microparticle in Air.” ArXiv, doi:10.48550/arXiv.2604.16040.
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