Optical tweezers: Theory and modelling

•We discuss the theory of optical tweezers.•We discuss the computational modelling of optical tweezers.•The T-matrix method and GLMT are ideally suited for modelling optical tweezers.•We discuss the use of other exact and approximate methods.

Since their development in the 1980s, optical tweezers have become a widely used and versatile tool in many fields. Outstanding applications include the quantitative measurement of forces in cell biology and biophysics. Computational modelling of optical tweezers is a valuable tool in support of experimental work, especially quantitative applications. We discuss the theory, and the theoretical and computational modelling of optical tweezers.