Using Light to Study Sound: Stimulating Hair Cells With Photonic Pressure

The document discusses a new method developed to stimulate hair cells in the inner ear using light, overcoming the limitations of current mechanical stimulation methods. Hair cells, which are the receptors of the inner ear, use a mechanical antenna called the hair bundle to detect and amplify auditory stimuli. The new technique uses an optical fiber with a tapered tip and a ball lens to apply photonic force to individual hair bundles. This method allows for faster stimulation, covering the frequency range of mammalian hearing, and addresses the inconsistencies found in previous methods.