A new radiation pressure formula to calculate the optical force exerted by a laser on a trapped particle

Abstract

This paper proposes a new expression of the radiation pressure force exerted by light on any piece of matter. This expression defines the optical force on any macroscopic particle surrounded by an isotropic fluid. It is restricted to quasi-permanent light illumination of the scatterer, where the usual tensors of Minkovsky and Abraham become equivalent. As experimental and numerical aspects of this approach were previously developed, I focus here on the derivation of this new formula from Maxwell theory.