Counter-propagating Gaussian Beams Research Articles

Chiral Thermodynamics in Tailored Chiral Optical Environments

We present an optomechanical model that describes the stochastic motion of an overdamped chiral nanoparticle diffusing in the optical bistable potential formed in the standing-wave of two counter-propagating Gaussian beams. We show how chiral optical environments can be induced in the standing-wave with no modification of the initial bistability by controlling the polarizations of each beam. Under this control, optical chiral densities and/or an optical chiral fluxes are generated, associated respectively with reactive vs. dissipative chiral optical forces exerted on the diffusing chiral nanoparticle. This optomechanical chiral coupling bias the thermodynamics of the thermal activation of the barrier crossing, in ways that depend on the nanoparticle enantiomer and on the optical field enantiomorph. We show that reactive chiral forces, being conservative, contribute to a global, enantiospecific, change of the Helmholtz free energy bistable landscape. In contrast, when the chiral nanoparticle is immersed in a dissipative chiral environment, the symmetry of the bistable potential is broken by non-conservative chiral optical forces. In this case, the chiral electromagnetic fields continuously transfer, through dissipation, mechanical energy to the chiral nanoparticle. For this chiral nonequilibrium steady-state, the thermodynamic changes of the barrier crossing take the form of heat transferred to the thermal bath and yield chiral deracemization schemes that can be explicitly calculated within the framework of our model. Three-dimensional stochastic simulations confirm and further illustrate the thermodynamic impact of chirality. Our results reveal how chiral degrees of freedom both of the nanoparticle and of the optical fields can be transformed into true thermodynamics control parameters, thereby demonstrating the significance of optomechanical chiral coupling in stochastic thermodynamics.

Analysis of radiation force on a uniaxial anisotropic sphere by dual counter-propagating Gaussian beams.

Based on Maxwell's stress tensor and the generalized Lorenz-Mie theory, a theoretical approach is introduced to study the radiation force exerted on a uniaxial anisotropic sphere illuminated by dual counter-propagating (CP) Gaussian beams. The beams propagate with arbitrary direction and are expanded in terms of the spherical vector wave functions (SVWFs) in a particle coordinate system using the coordinate rotation theorem of the SVWFs. The total expansion coefficients of the incident fields are derived by superposition of the vector fields. Using Maxwell stress tensor analysis, the analytical expressions of the radiation force on a homogeneous absorbing uniaxial anisotropic sphere are obtained. The accuracy of the theory is verified by comparing the radiation forces of the anisotropic sphere reduced to the special cases of an isotropic sphere. In order to study the equilibrium state, the effects of beam parameters, particle size parameters, and anisotropy parameters on the radiation force are discussed in detail. Compared with the isotropic particle, the equilibrium status is sensitive to the anisotropic parameters. Moreover, the properties of optical force on a uniaxial anisotropic sphere in a single Gaussian beam trap and Gaussian standing wave trap are compared. It indicates that the CP Gaussian beam trap may more easily capture or confine the anisotropic particle. However, the radiation force exerted on an anisotropic sphere exhibits very different properties when the beams do not propagate along the primary optical axis. The influence of the anisotropic parameter on the radiation force by CP Gaussian beams is different from that of a single Gaussian beam. In summary, even for anisotropic particles, the Gaussian standing wave trap also exhibits significant advantages when compared with the single Gaussian beam trap. The theoretical predictions of radiation forces exerted on a uniaxial anisotropic sphere by dual Gaussian beams provide effective ways to achieve the improvement of optical tweezers as well as the capture, suspension, and high-precision delivery of anisotropic particles.

Dynamic of Si nanoparticles inside of a quadrupolar trap: Analysis of the angular momentum transfer

We investigate the dynamics of Si spherical nanoparticles for different infrared wavelengths in a system based on two circularly polarized counter-propagating Gaussian beams. Through the analysis of the dipolar and quadrupolar forces, we obtain several conditions under which these nanoparticles describe different types of attractive or repulsive spirals at focus plane depending on the efficiency of the quadrupole trap obtained. We demonstrate that these spirals are generated by the angular momentum transfer from the electromagnetic field to the particles, and this is mainly due to the interference forces dipole–dipole and quadrupole–dipole. Through the adequate selection of the wavelength, angular momentum transfer can only take place with quadrupolar–dipolar interference forces. We study particle dynamics by solving the deterministic and non-deterministic over-damped Langevin equation.

Mechanism of the ordered particles arrangement in a concentration grating excited in the field of counter-propagating Gaussian beams

In the two-particle approximation, we consider the mechanism for the formation of an ordered arrangement of transparent spherical particles of small size in a concentration grating excited by the gradient force of counter-propagating Gaussian laser beams. This mechanism is due to the joint action of the transverse gradient force and the Coulomb force arising as a result of dipole–dipole interactions between particles.

Optomechanical properties of optically self-arranged colloidal waveguides.

When a suspension of wavelength-sized polystyrene spheres is illuminated with non-interfering counter-propagating Gaussian beams, the particles self-arrange into a colloidal waveguide (CWG). Mutual force interaction among particles is mediated by scattered light, referred to as the optical binding. We analyzed the longitudinal and lateral motion of particles in such CWGs made of an increasing number of particles with diameters of either 520 or 657nm. We observed the enhancement of the binding stiffness of neighboring particles by more than an order of magnitude. This enhancement is done by optical means, mainly due to a local increase of optical intensity due to multiple light scattering in an optically bound structure.

Spin-orbit beams for optical chirality measurement

Accurate measurement of chirality is essential for the advancement of natural and pharmaceutical sciences. We report here a method to measure chirality using non-separable states of light with geometric phase-gradient in the circular polarization basis, which we refer to as spin-orbit beams. A modified polarization Sagnac interferometer is used to generate spin-orbit beams wherein the spin and orbital angular momentum of the input Gaussian beam are coupled. The out-of-phase interference between counter-propagating Gaussian beams with orthogonal spin states and lateral-shear or/and linear-phase difference between them results in spin-orbit beams with linear and azimuthal phase gradient. The spin-orbit beams interact efficiently with the chiral medium, inducing a measurable change in the center-of-mass of the beam, using the polarization rotation angle and hence the chirality of the medium are accurately calculated. Tunable dynamic range of measurement and flexibility to introduce large values of orbital angular momentum for the spin-orbit beam, to improve the measurement sensitivity, highlight the techniques' versatility.

Complex rotational dynamics of multiple spheroidal particles in a circularly polarized, dual beam trap.

We examine the rotational dynamics of spheroidal particles in an optical trap comprising counter-propagating Gaussian beams of opposing helicity. Isolated spheroids undergo continuous rotation with frequencies determined by their size and aspect ratio, whilst pairs of spheroids display phase locking behaviour. The introduction of additional particles leads to yet more complex behaviour. Experimental results are supported by numerical calculations.

使用相对传播脉冲激光光束的光陷阱中电介质纳米颗粒的稳定过程的数值模拟

The stabilizing process of glass particle in water by optical trap using the pulsed counter-propagating Gaussian beams is investigated. The influence of the optical power and the particle dimension on the rate and time of the stabilizing process is simulated and discussed.

The Influence of Parameters on Stable Space-time “Pillar” in Optical Tweezer using Counter-propagating Pulsed Laser Beams

In this article the stable process of the optical tweezer using the pulsed counter-propagating Gaussian beams is investigated using the Langevin equation with optical gradient force. The influence of parameters as the total energy, the beam waist, the radius of particle and the viscosity of fluid on the dimension of the stable space-time pillar is simulated and discussed.

Third-Order Nonlinear Integrated Device Based on an Effective Graded-Index Waveguide for All-Optical Multistability

We present a theoretical study of all-optical multistability in an integrated device composed by a step-index nonlinear Kerr waveguide with a variable width film, providing an effective graded-index profile. The self- and cross-action of nonlinear Gaussian counterpropagating beams in this structure and a feedback controlling mechanism based on transverse modal coupling generate a multistable behavior. The results have been obtained and explained on the basis of the exact solutions of the variational problem for the counterpropagating Gaussian beams. Finally, in order to make clear the possibilities of this device, novel applications of the all-optical multistable integrated device are proposed for smart sensing.