Related papers: Pulling and lifting macroscopic objects by light
Optically-induced mechanical torque leading to the rotation of small objects requires the presence of absorption or breaking cylindrical symmetry of a scatterer. A spherical non-absorbing particle cannot rotate due to the conservation of…
The successful development and optimisation of optically-driven micromachines will be greatly enhanced by the ability to computationally model the optical forces and torques applied to such devices. In principle, this can be done by…
A strongly focused laser beam can be used to trap, manipulate and exert torque on a microparticle. The torque is the result of transfer of angular momentum by scattering of the laser beam. The laser could be used to drive a rotor, impeller,…
We show theoretically and demonstrate experimentally that highly absorbing particles can be trapped and manipulated in a single highly focused Gaussian beam. Our studies of the effects of polarized light on such particles show that they can…
We experimentally investigate the drag force exerted by a suspension of light-induced active particles (APs) on a translating and beating idealized flagellum-shaped object realized through negative phototactic interactions with the APs. We…
Gravitational lensing is a powerful tool to detect compact matter on very different mass scales. Of particular importance is the fact that lensing is sensitive to both luminous and dark matter alike. Depending on the mass scale, all lensing…
The center-of-mass motion of optically trapped dielectric nanoparticles in vacuum is extremely well-decoupled from its environment, making a powerful tool for measurements of feeble sub-attonewton forces. We demonstrate a method to trap and…
Photophoretic forces, several orders of magnitude stronger than radiation pressure, enable particle trapping at remarkably low optical intensities and have opened pathways to applications in aerosol science, free-space 3D volumetric…
An excited-state atom whose emitted light is back-reflected by a distant mirror can experience trapping forces, because the presence of the mirror modifies both the electromagnetic vacuum field and the atom's own radiation reaction field.…
The term "light dragging" describes how the trajectory of light changes as it travels through a moving medium. This phenomenon facilitates the precise detection of incredibly slow speeds of light, which is widely used in quantum gate…
Matter manipulation with optical forces has become commonplace in a wide range of research fields and is epitomized by the optical trap. Calculations of optical forces on small illuminated particles typically neglect multiple scattering on…
Compact objects with magnetic dipole are considered as gravitational lenses. The presence of strong magnetic field near the photon sphere can affect the trajectory of light. We compute the deflection angle near the photon sphere on the…
Optical force can enable precise manipulations of small particles for various applications. It is well known that an isotropic lossless dielectric sphere is only subject to forward optical force under the illumination of an electromagnetic…
The tremendous progress in light scattering engineering made it feasible to develop optical tweezers allowing capture, hold, and controllable displacement of submicronsize particles and biological structures. However, the momentum…
Realizing optical manipulation of microscopic objects is crucial in the research fields of life science, condensed matter physics and physical chemistry. In non-liquid environments, this task is commonly regarded as difficult due to strong…
It has been recently reported that elastic waves induced by nanosecond light pulses can be used to drive nano-motion of micro-objects on frictional solid interfaces, a challenging task for traditional techniques using tiny optical force. In…
The spin angular momentum in an elliptically polarized beam of light plays several noteworthy roles in optical traps. It contributes to the linear momentum density in a non-uniform beam, and thus to the radiation pressure exerted on…
Optically-induced magnetic resonances in non-magnetic media have unlocked magnetic light-matter interactions and led to new technologies in many research fields. Previous proposals for the levitation of nanoscale particles without…
The downscaling of optical systems to the micro and nano-scale results in very compliant systems with nanogram-scale masses, which renders them susceptible to optical forces. Here we show a specially designed resonant structure for enabling…
From long time transverse and longitudinal optical forces are used for non-contact and noninvasive manipulation of small particle. The following question arises: What is the impact of these forces on the continuous media as air and silica.…