  We study a nanofabricated silicon rod levitated in an optical trap. By
manipulating the polarization of the light we gain full control over the
ro-translational dynamics of the rod. We are able to trap both its
centre-of-mass and align it along the linear polarization of the laser field.
The rod can be set into rotation at a tuned frequency by exploiting the
radiation pressure exerted by elliptically polarized light. The rotational
motion of the rod dynamically modifies the optical potential, which allows
tuning of the rotational frequency over hundreds of Kilohertz. This ability to
trap and control the motion and alignment of nanoparticles opens up the field
of rotational optomechanics, rotational ground state cooling and the study of
rotational thermodynamics in the underdamped regime.
