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Title: Crossover from positive to negative optical torque in mesoscale optical matter

Journal Article · · Nature Communications
ORCiD logo [1];  [2]; ORCiD logo [3];  [4];  [5];  [4]; ORCiD logo [1]
  1. Clarkson Univ., Potsdam, NY (United States). Dept. of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
  2. The Univ. of Chicago, Chicago, IL (United States). James Franck Inst.; The Univ. of Chicago, Chicago, IL (United States). Dept. of Physics
  3. The Univ. of Chicago, Chicago, IL (United States). James Franck Inst.
  4. The Univ. of Chicago, Chicago, IL (United States). James Franck Inst.; The Univ. of Chicago, Chicago, IL (United States). Dept. of Chemistry
  5. Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL, (United States). Center for Nanoscale Materials

The photons in circularly polarized light can transfer their quantized spin angular momentum to micro- and nanostructures via absorption and scattering. This normally exerts positive torque on the objects wher the sign (i.e., handedness or angular direction) follows that of the spin angular momentum. Here we show that the sign of the optical torque can be negative in mesoscopic optical matter arrays of metal nanoparticles (NPs) assembled in circularly polarized optical traps. Crossover from positive to negative optical torque, which occurs for arrays with different number, separation and configuration of the constituent particles, is shown to result from many-body interactions as clarified by electrodynamics simulations. Our results establish that both positive and negative optical torque can be readily realized and controlled in optical matter arrays. This property and reconfigurability of the arrays makes possible programmable materials for optomechanical, microrheological and biological applications.

Research Organization:
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES); W.M. Keck Foundation; U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) - Vannevar Bush Faculty Fellowship; National Science Foundation (NSF)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-06CH11357
OSTI ID:
1562273
Journal Information:
Nature Communications, Vol. 9, Issue 1; ISSN 2041-1723
Publisher:
Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Light‐Driven Self‐Healing of Nanoparticle‐Based Metamolecules journal March 2019
Light‐Driven Self‐Healing of Nanoparticle‐Based Metamolecules journal April 2019
Azimuthal Imaginary Poynting Momentum Density journal December 2019
Optical pulling at macroscopic distances journal March 2019
Perspective on light-induced transport of particles: from optical forces to phoretic motion journal January 2019
Negative optical torque on a microsphere in optical tweezers journal January 2019
Optical binding of nanoparticles journal November 2019
Optical pulling at macroscopic distances journal March 2019

Figures / Tables (5)