The flourishing field of light-powered micro/nanorotors provides promising strategies for manufacturing and biomedical needs. However, the torque of optical rotors typically arises from the momentum exchange with photons, which limits the geometries and materials of objects that can be rotated and requires intense laser beams with designed intensity profile and polarization. These factors inhibit the light-powered rotation of highly symmetric or isotropic targets. Herein, we developed an optothermal micro/nanorotors platform that enables the rotation of various colloids with diverse sizes, materials, and various shapes, including live cells and micro/nanoparticles with high symmetry and isotropy. The long-sought-after out-of-plane rotation has been achieved by a single plane-polarized Gaussian laser beam with an ultralow power. This simple rotor approach is foreseen to open new horizons in colloidal and life sciences by offering a non-invasive and universal manipulation.
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