Radiation force and torque of light-sheets

Abstract

The aim of this work is to provide exact analytical closed-form expressions for the longitudinal and transverse optical radiation force and axial spin torque components, for a 2D surface cross-section with arbitrary shape in the field of light-sheet beams of arbitrary wavefront. Generalized partial-wave series expressions for the longitudinal and transverse optical radiation forces and torque are derived based on the multipole expansion in cylindrical wave functions, stemming from series expansions for the incident and scattered electromagnetic fields. The incident light-sheet wavefields are expressed using generalized series involving the beam-shape coefficients (BSCs), and the scattered fields are given in terms of series involving the scattering coefficients of the object. Numerical illustrative examples on a dielectric absorptive circular cylindrical cross-section are provided for different wavefronts, ranging from plane waves, as well as non-paraxial scalar Airy and Gaussian light-sheet beams. The BSCs are derived based on the angular spectrum decomposition method, which provides adequate means to evaluate the radiation force and torque components when the cylinder cross-section is centered on the beam, or shifted off-axially with respect to the incident axis of wave propagation. In essence, the present theoretical analysis provides a complete formalism in the framework of the generalized Lorenz–Mie theory in 2D based upon exact closed-form series expressions to compute the optical force and torque components induced by 2D light-sheets of arbitrary wavefronts, illuminating a scatterer with an arbitrary geometrical cross-section (in 2D). Possible applications are in particle transport and rotation.