The device works by shining a hollow laser beam around tiny glass particles. The air surrounding the particle heats up, while the dark center of the beam stays cool. When the particle starts to drift out of the middle and into the bright laser beam, the force of heated air molecules bouncing around and hitting the particle’s surface is enough to nudge it back to the center.
So it’s a neat effect. But …
Because this technique needs heated gas to push the particles around, it can’t work in the vacuum of outer space like the tractor beams in Star Trek.
Which won’t stop you from labeling this technique with a Star Trek term that described something that’s only vaguely similar …
Tractor beams are way pre-Star Trek. My guess is that they are from the early 20s when “projectors” were all the rage.