Just a background the specifics of this cool laser are described more in depth by wikipedia:

A tractor beam is a device with the ability to attract one object to another from a distance.^[1] The term was coined by E. E. Smith (an update of his earlier “attractor beam”) in his novel Spacehounds of IPC (1931). Since the 1990s, technology and research has laboured to make it a reality, and have had some success on a microscopic level.^[2] Another method to realize tractor beams is based on the use of biaxial birefringent media.^[3] Less commonly, a similar beam that repels is called a pressor beam or repulsor beam. Gravity impulse and gravity propulsion beams are traditionally areas of research from fringe physics that coincide with the concepts of tractor and repulsor beams.

They go on to describe a bit more on why their findings have significance beyond the confines of their laboratory.

“Because lasers retain their beam quality for such long distances, this could work over metres. Our lab just was not big enough to show it,” said co-author Dr Vladlen Shvedov.

Maybe we will see a tractor beam on the next astronaut vehicle in case the space station goes off course 🙂

thanks to Michelle Star from CNET for this write-up