Stable 3D particle manipulation using rotating elliptical Gauss–Schell model vortex partially coherent light sources

Abstract

The Partially coherent light source can be applied to the noninvasive capture of particles, and increasing the freedom of capturing different types of particles simultaneously is of great significance. This paper studies the optical field distribution of a rotating elliptical Gaussian-Schell model vortex beam focused by a lens and the radiation force acting on Rayleigh particles. The beam’s rotation parameter, the vortex’s topological charge, and the spatial coherence length have different effects on the light intensity, which will determine the optical capture ability of Rayleigh particles with other refractive indices and generate equilibrium points at different positions. The longitudinal equilibrium points of high-refractive-index particles and the transverse equilibrium points of low-refractive-index particles are increased by adjusting the value of the rotation parameter and the topological charge. Finally, the appropriate size range for trapping Rayleigh particles is analyzed according to the comparison of Brownian force and radiant force. The results show that this partially coherent light source has a high degree of freedom in capturing particles with different refractive indices, which provides a new way for optical capture technology and three-dimensional (3D) particle manipulation.