Nanoparticle dynamics in structured light beams

We study the effects of the optical forces acting on nanoparticles when they are illuminated with structured light.

We study the effects of the optical forces acting on nanoparticles when they are illuminated with structured light. We developed a computational toolbox that calculates optical forces. The results allow us to obtain the trajectory described by the particles depending on their initial conditions and physical properties. As an example, we generate structured light beams by superimposing optical vortices. The resulting beam generates gradient, scattering and curl forces. We show the dynamics of dielectric and metallic nanoparticles. This work may stimulate further research on controlling nanometer-size particles using light beams with space-variant polarization.