Study of the optical force on nano-structured surfaces

Abstract

The optical force is a miniscule force originating from light–matter interactions and ranging from a few nano-Newtons to micro-Newtons. This study demonstrates that this force can be enhanced or changed using structured surfaces. The mechanism is studied through a resonant-excited electromagnetic field on a periodic nano-structured surface. The quantitative relationship between the periodic structure and the resultant force is determined using finite element analysis, and the experimental results are in good agreement with the theoretical analysis. Compared to planar reflectors, the optical force can be greatly amplified on periodic cavity structures, depending on the cavity parameters. The findings of this study can serve a wide range of applications, such as opto-mechanical systems and sensitive detection of laser power.