While it won't exactly be capturing enemy spaceships anytime soon, the device can use light to pull in and trap atoms, which may be handy for quantum communications or memory systems.

There are plenty of ways to build tractor beams. Some use sound waves to push or levitate small objects and particles, while others can direct energy behind the target and pull it towards the source. A separate class uses light, either through the pressure of photons bouncing off objects, or creating tiny thrust through the photophoretic force that keeps particles suspended in a dark core when surrounded by laser light.

The new design from researchers University of Adelaide also uses light, but in this case it's invisible infrared and it affects the target in a different way.