Stable optical lateral forces from inhomogeneities of the spin angular momentum

Yuzhi Shi, Tongtong Zhu, Jingquan Liu, Din Ping Tsai, Hui Zhang, Shubo Wang, Che Ting Chan, Pin Chieh Wu, Anatoly V. Zayats, Franco Nori, Ai Qun Liu

Research output: Journal article publicationJournal articleAcademic researchpeer-review

45 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Transverse spin momentum related to the spin angular momentum (SAM) of light has been theoretically studied recently and predicted to generate an intriguing optical lateral force (OLF). Despite extensive studies, there is no direct experimental evidence of a stable OLF resulting from the dominant SAM rather than the ubiquitous spin-orbit interaction in a single light beam. Here, we theoretically unveil the nontrivial physics of SAM-correlated OLF, showing that the SAM is a dominant factor for the OLF on a nonabsorbing particle, while an additional force from the canonical (orbital) momentum is exhibited on an absorbing particle due to the spin-orbit interaction. Experimental results demonstrate the bidirectional movement of 5-μm-diameter particles on both sides of the beam with opposite spin momenta. The amplitude and sign of this force strongly depend on the polarization. Our optofluidic platform advances the exploitation of exotic forces in systems with a dominant SAM, facilitating the exploration of fascinating light-matter interactions.

Original languageEnglish
Article numbereabn2291
JournalScience advances
Volume8
Issue number48
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2 Dec 2022
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General

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