Optical trapping uses the high field strengths of lasers and the tight focusing of microscope objectives to exert forces on micron sized particles. In their simplest configuration, optical trapping systems allow particles to be three-dimensionally trapped at the focus of the microscope objective. In this work, we integrate a Hamamatsu X8267 spatial light modulator into a ThorLabs optical trapping kit. This spatial light modulator allows us control over the phase profile of the trapping laser and therefore the creation of vortex beams. These vortex beams have ring shaped intensity profiles and carry angular momentum. With this new system, particles are trapped in these ring-shaped intensity profiles and a transfer of angular momentum to the particles is observed.
