Related papers: Generally applicable holographic torque measuremen…
We propose a novel way to trap and manipulate nano-objects above a dielectric substrate using an apertureless near-field probe. A combination of evanescent illumination and light scattering at the probe apex is used to shape the optical…
Optical tweezers are powerful tools based on focused laser beams. They are able to trap, manipulate and investigate a wide range of microscopic and nanoscopic particles in different media, such as liquids, air, and vacuum. Key applications…
We report the first experimental study upon the optical trapping and manipulation of topological insulator (TI) particles. By virtue of the unique TI properties, which have a conducting surface and an insulating bulk, the particles present…
The measurement of the spin angular momentum of circularly polarized light by Beth [Phys. Rev. 50, 115 (1936)] can be explained by using a microscopic torque density. However, the experiment does not resolve the space- and time-dependent…
A photonic force microscope comprises of an optically trapped micro-probe and a position detection system to track the motion of the probe. Signal collection for motion detection is often carried out using the backscattered light off the…
The physics involved in the fundamental conservation equations of the spin and orbital angular momenta leads to new laws and phenomena that I disclose. To this end, I analyse the scattering of an electromagnetic wavefield by the canonical…
There is a storied scientific history in the role of mechanical instruments for the measurement of fundamental physical interactions. Among these include the detection of magnetic torques via a displacement of a compliant mechanical sensor…
We study the center-of-mass motion in systems of trapped interacting particles with space- and velocity-dependent friction and anharmonic traps. Our approach, based on a dynamical ansatz assuming a fixed density profile, allows us to obtain…
A scheme is discussed for measuring Nth-order coherences of two orthogonally polarized light fields in a single spatial mode at very limited experimental cost. To implement the scheme, the only measurements needed are the Nth-order…
We have conceived, built, and operated a cryogenic Penning trap with an electrically conducting yet optically transparent solid electrode. The trap, dedicated to spectroscopy and imaging of confined particles under large solid angles is of…
We describe and present the first observational evidence that light propagating near a rotating black hole is twisted in phase and carries orbital angular momentum. The novel use of this physical observable as an additional tool for the…
Plasmonic vortices (PV) excited by a highly focused radially polarized optical vortex (RPOV) beam on a metal surface are investigated experimentally and theoretically. The proposed method reveals a direct phase singularity and orbital…
Optical trapping describes the interaction between light and matter to manipulate micro-objects through momentum transfer. In the case of 3D trapping with a single beam, this is termed optical tweezers. Optical tweezers are a powerful and…
Optical detection of structures with dimensions smaller than an optical wavelength requires devices that work on scales beyond the diffraction limit. Here we present the possibility of using a tapered optical nanofiber as a detector to…
Developing angular trapping methods, which will enable optical tweezers to rotate a micronized bead, is of great importance for the studies of biomacromolecules during a wide range of torque-generation processes. Here we report a novel…
We measure the rotational and translational velocity components of particles moving in helical motion using the frequency shift they induced to the structured light beam illuminating them. Under Laguerre-Gaussian mode illumination, a…
We introduce a matter wave interference scheme based on the quantization of orbital angular momentum in a ring trap. It operates without beam splitters, is sensitive to geometric phases induced by external gauge fields, and allows measuring…
Optical trapping is having ever-increasing impact in science $-$ particularly biophysics, photonics and most recently in quantum optomechanics $-$ owing to its superior capability for manipulating nanoscale structures and materials.…
The loading dynamics of an alkali-atom magneto-optical trap can be used as a reliable measure of vacuum pressure, with loading time T indicating a pressure less than or equal to [2x10^(-8) Torr s]/T. This relation is accurate to…
When a light beam is strongly laterally confined, its field vector spins in a plane not perpendicular to the propagation direction, leading to the presence of transverse spin angular momentum, which plays a crucial role in the field of…