Photothermal bubble: Dynamics, manipulation, and applications

Photothermal bubble holds promising for microfluidics, microfabrication, drug delivery, chemical engineering, and soft robotics, arising from its inherent features and advantages, such as easy formation, remote operation, rapid response, tunable flexibility, and biocompatibility. This review systematically examines advances in photothermal bubble generation and manipulation over the past decade, focusing on nucleation mechanisms, growth dynamics, and motion control. Three principal modes of bubble motion are analyzed: horizontal locomotion driven by laser translation; spontaneous bouncing/oscillatory motion under stationary laser irradiation; and three‐dimensional actuation via optimized heating configurations. We highlight representative applications demonstrating the versatility of photothermal‐driven bubble manipulation, and discuss the related limitations associated with photothermal bubble actuation in various application scenarios. Furthermore, we present outlook for key challenges and future directions for broader implementation. This review offers fundamental insights into the underlying dynamics and control mechanisms of photothermal bubbles, facilitating the transition of this technology from laboratory research to practical applications.