Related papers: Photo-Motile Structures
Liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) containing light-sensitive molecules exhibit large reversible deformation when subjected to illumination. Here, we investigate the role of optical penetration depth on this photomechanical response. We…
In exploring the light-induced dynamics within the linear response regime, this study investigates the induced orbital angular momentum on a wide variety of electronic structures. We derive a general expression for the torque induced by…
Intense light-matter interactions have revolutionized our ability to probe and manipulate quantum systems at sub-femtosecond time scales, opening routes to all-optical control of electronic currents in solids at petahertz rates. Such…
The transfer of angular momentum carried by photons into a microobject has been widely exploited to achieve the actuation of the microobject. However, this scheme is fundamentally defective in nonliquid environments as a result of the scale…
We address a fundamental question of quantum optics: Can a beam of light mediate coherent Hamiltonian interactions between two distant quantum systems? This is an intriguing question whose answer is not a priori clear, since the light…
Photosynthetic microbes have evolved and successfully adapted to the ever-changing environmental conditions in complex microhabitats throughout almost all ecosystems on Earth. In the absence of light, they can sustain their biological…
Biological motors are marvels of nature that inspire creation of their synthetic counterparts with comparable nanoscale dimensions, high efficiency and diverse functions. Molecular motors have been synthesized, but obtaining nanomotors…
The fundamental processes of absorption, stimulated and spontaneous emission, and elastic as well as inelastic scattering involving light and atoms, molecules, and nano-particles have been studied for decades using both classical and…
Intense light with frequencies above typical atomic or molecular ionization potentials as provided by free-electron lasers couples many photons into extended targets such as clusters and biomolecules. This implies, in contrast to…
For the past few decades, structured light has been gaining popularity across various research fields. Its fascinating properties have been exploited for both previously unforeseen and established applications from new perspectives. Crucial…
Photonic neural networks benefit from both the high channel capacity- and the wave nature of light acting as an effective weighting mechanism through linear optics. The neuron's activation function, however, requires nonlinearity which can…
The design of adaptive structures is one method to improve sustainability of buildings. Adaptive structures are able to adapt to different loading and environmental conditions or to changing requirements by either small or large shape…
Structured beams of light can move small objects in surprising ways. Particularly striking examples include observations of polarization-dependent forces acting on optically isotropic objects and tractor beams that can pull objects opposite…
Structured light is routinely used in free space optical communication channels, both classical and quantum, where information is encoded in the spatial structure of the mode for increased bandwidth. Unlike polarisation, the spatial…
In recent years, photon drag has attracted enormous attention owing to both fundamental and practical interests. In this paper, by presenting a density-matrix approach, we have theoretically demonstrated an enhanced photon drag in a moving…
Free-electron interactions with light and matter have long served as a cornerstone for exploring the quantum and ultrafast dynamics of material excitation. In recent years, this paradigm has evolved from a classical description of radiation…
In this paper we present a theoretical method, together with its experimental confirmation, to obtain structures of light by connecting diffraction-resistant cylindrical beams of finite lengths and different radii. The resulting…
Optical tweezers employing forces produced by light underpin important manipulation tools in many areas of applied and biological physics. Conventional optical tweezers are based on refractive optics, and they require excessive auxiliary…
Quantum light-matter systems at strong coupling are notoriously challenging to analyze due to the need to include states with many excitations in every coupled mode. We propose a nonperturbative approach to analyze light-matter correlations…
Self-propelled colloidal objects, such as motile bacteria or synthetic microswimmers, have microscopically irreversible individual dynamics - a feature they share with all living systems. The incoherent behaviour of individual swimmers can…