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Complex Light and Optical Forces

Levitated optomechanics of silica microparticles in vacuum placed in 2D and 3D optical potentials possessing orbital angular momentum (Conference Presentation)

Yoshihiko Arita, Michaël Mazilu, Mingzhou Chen, Tom Vettenburg, Juan Miguel Auñón, Ewan M. Wright, Kishan Dholakia

Published Mar 14, 2018• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We demonstrate the transfer of orbital angular momentum (OAM) to optically levitated microparticles in vacuum. We create two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) optical potentials possessing OAM. In the former case the microparticle is placed within a Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) beam and orbits the annular beam profile with increasing angular velocity as the air drag coefficient is reduced. Our results reveal that there is a fundamental limit to the OAM that may be transferred to a trapped particle, dependent upon the beam parameters and inertial forces present. Whilst a LG beam scales in size with azimuthal index, recently we have created a “perfect vortex” beam whose radial intensity profile and radius are both independent of topological charge. As the Fourier transform of a “perfect vortex” yields a Bessel beam, imaging a “perfect vortex”, with its subsequent propagation thus realises a complex three-dimensional optical field. In this scenario we load individual silica microparticles into this field where the optical gradient and scattering forces interplay with the inertial and gravitational forces acting on the trapped particle. As a result the trapped microparticle exhibits a complex three-dimensional motion that includes a periodic orbital motion between the Bessel and the “perfect vortex” beam. We are able to determine the three dimensional optical potential in situ by tracking the particle. This first demonstration of trapping microparticles within a complex 3D optical potential in vacuum opens up new possibilities for fundamental studies of many-body dynamics, mesoscopic entanglement, and optical binding.

DOI
10.1117/12.2290534

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We demonstrate the transfer of orbital angular momentum to optically levitated microparticles in vacuum [1]. We prepare two-dimensional and three-dimensional optical potentials. In the former case the microparticle is placed within a Laguerre-Gaussian beam and orbits the annular beam profile with increasing angular velocity as the air drag coefficient is reduced. We explore the particle dynamics as a function of the topological charge of the levitating beam. Our results reveal that there is a fundamental limit to the orbital angular momentum that may be transferred to a trapped particle, dependent upon the beam parameters and inertial forces present. This effect was predicted theoretically [2] and can be understood considering the underlying dynamics arising from the link between the magnitude of the azimuthal index and the beam radius [3]. Whilst a Laguerre-Gaussian beam scales in size with azimuthal index `, recently we have created a “perfect” vortex beam whose radial intensity profile and radius are both independent of topological charge [4, 5]. As the Fourier transform of a perfect vortex yields a Bessel beam. Imaging a perfect vortex, with its subsequent propagation thus realises a complex three dimensional optical field. In this scenario we load individual silica microparticles into this field and observe their trajectories. The optical gradient and scattering forces interplay with the inertial and gravitational forces acting on the trapped particle, including the rotational degrees of freedom. As a result the trapped microparticle exhibits a complex three dimensional motion that includes a periodic orbital motion between the Bessel and the perfect vortex beam. We are able to determine the three dimensional optical potential in situ by tracking the particle. This first demonstration of trapping microparticles within a complex three dimensional optical potential in vacuum opens up new possibilities for fundamental studies of many-body dynamics, mesoscopic entanglement [6, 7], and optical binding [8, 9].

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Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE•Oct 18, 2004•0 citations
We demonstrate the transfer of orbital angular momentum (OAM) to optically levitated microparticles in vacuum. We create two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) optical potentials possessing OAM. In the former case the microparticle is placed within a Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) beam and orbits the annular beam profile with increasing angular velocity as the air drag coefficient is reduced. Our results reveal that there is a fundamental limit to the OAM that may be transferred to a trapped particle, dependent upon the beam parameters and inertial forces present. Whilst a LG beam scales in size with azimuthal index, recently we have created a “perfect vortex” beam whose radial intensity profile and radius are both independent of topological charge. As the Fourier transform of a “perfect vortex” yields a Bessel beam, imaging a “perfect vortex”, with its subsequent propagation thus realises a complex three-dimensional optical field. In this scenario we load individual silica microparticles into this field where the optical gradient and scattering forces interplay with the inertial and gravitational forces acting on the trapped particle. As a result the trapped microparticle exhibits a complex three-dimensional motion that includes a periodic orbital motion between the Bessel and the “perfect vortex” beam. We are able to determine the three dimensional optical potential in situ by tracking the particle. This first demonstration of trapping microparticles within a complex 3D optical potential in vacuum opens up new possibilities for fundamental studies of many-body dynamics, mesoscopic entanglement, and optical binding.
We demonstrate the transfer of orbital angular momentum to optically levitated microparticles in vacuum [1]. We prepare two-dimensional and three-dimensional optical potentials. In the former case the microparticle is placed within a Laguerre-Gaussian beam and orbits the annular beam profile with increasing angular velocity as the air drag coefficient is reduced. We explore the particle dynamics as a function of the topological charge of the levitating beam. Our results reveal that there is a fundamental limit to the orbital angular momentum that may be transferred to a trapped particle, dependent upon the beam parameters and inertial forces present. This effect was predicted theoretically [2] and can be understood considering the underlying dynamics arising from the link between the magnitude of the azimuthal index and the beam radius [3]. Whilst a Laguerre-Gaussian beam scales in size with azimuthal index `, recently we have created a “perfect” vortex beam whose radial intensity profile and radius are both independent of topological charge [4, 5]. As the Fourier transform of a perfect vortex yields a Bessel beam. Imaging a perfect vortex, with its subsequent propagation thus realises a complex three dimensional optical field. In this scenario we load individual silica microparticles into this field and observe their trajectories. The optical gradient and scattering forces interplay with the inertial and gravitational forces acting on the trapped particle, including the rotational degrees of freedom. As a result the trapped microparticle exhibits a complex three dimensional motion that includes a periodic orbital motion between the Bessel and the perfect vortex beam. We are able to determine the three dimensional optical potential in situ by tracking the particle. This first demonstration of trapping microparticles within a complex three dimensional optical potential in vacuum opens up new possibilities for fundamental studies of many-body dynamics, mesoscopic entanglement [6, 7], and optical binding [8, 9].
We analyze microparticle dynamics within a "perfect" vortex beam. In contrast to other vortex fields, for any given integer value of the topological charge, a "perfect" vortex beam has the same annular intensity profile with fixed radius of peak intensity. For a given topological charge, the field possesses a well-defined orbital angular momentum density at each point in space, invariant with respect to azimuthal position. We experimentally create a perfect vortex and correct the field in situ, to trap and set in motion trapped microscopic particles. For a given topological charge, a single trapped particle exhibits the same local angular velocity moving in such a field independent of its azimuthal position. We also investigate particle dynamics in "perfect" vortex beams of fractional topological charge. This light field may be applied for novel studies in optical trapping of particles, atoms, and quantum gases.
Vortex beams with different topological charge usually have different profiles and radii of peak intensity. This introduces a degree of complexity the fair study of the nature of optical OAM (orbital angular momentum). To avoid this, we introduced a new approach by creating a perfect vortex beam using an annular illuminating beam with a fixed intensity profile on an SLM that imposes a chosen topological charge. The radial intensity profile of such an experimentally created perfect vortex beam is independent to any given integer value of its topological charge. The well-defined OAM density in such a perfect vortex beam is probed by trapping microscope particles. The rotation rate of a trapped necklace of particles is measured for both integer and non-integer topological charge. Experimental results agree with the theoretical prediction. With the flexibility of our approach, local OAM density can be corrected in situ to overcome the problem of trapping the particle in the intensity hotspots. The correction of local OAM density in the perfect vortex beam therefore enables a single trapped particle to move along the vortex ring at a constant angular velocity that is independent of the azimuthal position. Due to its particular nature, the perfect vortex beam may be applied to other studies in optical trapping of particles, atoms or quantum gases.
Optically levitated and cooled nanoparticles are a new quantum system whose application to the creation of non-classical states of motion and quantum limited sensing is fundamentally limited by recoil and bulk heating. We study the creation of stable 3D optical traps using optical cylindrically polarized vortex beams with radial and azimuthal polarization and show that a significant reduction in recoil heating by up to an order of magnitude can be achieved when compared with conventional single Gaussian beam tweezers. Additionally these beams allow trapping of larger particles outside the Rayleigh regime using both bright and dark tweezer trapping with reduced recoil heating. By changing the wavelength of the trapping laser, or the size of the particles, non-linear and repulsive potentials of interest for the creation of non-classical states of motion can also be created.
Abstract Generally, an optical vortex lattice (OVL) is generated via the superposition of two specific vortex beams. Thus far, OVL has been successfully employed to trap atoms via the dark cores. The topological charge (TC) on each optical vortex (OV) in the lattice is only ±1. Consequently, the orbital angular momentum (OAM) on the lattice is ignored. To expand the potential applications, it is necessary to rediscover and exploit OAM. Here we propose a novel high‐order OVL (HO‐OVL) that combines the phase multiplication and the arbitrary mode‐controllable techniques. TC on each OV in the lattice is up to 51, which generates sufficient OAM to manipulate microparticles. Thereafter, the entire lattice can be modulated to desirable arbitrary modes. Finally, yeast cells are trapped and rotated by the proposed HO‐OVL. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first realization of the complex motion of microparticles via OVL. Thus, this work successfully exploits OAM on OVL, thereby revealing potential applications in particle manipulation and optical tweezers.
Bessel beams have a number of properties that make them useful for optical manipulation. These include a central core which does not diffract over a characteristic distance, the reconstruction of the cross sectional intensity around obstacles and the ability of the beams to possess orbital angular momentum. Here we examine the utility of the Bessel beam to quantitatively examine the transfer of spin and orbital angular momentum to particle trapped away from the beam axis. We show the simultaneous transfer of orbital and spin angular momentum to an off-axis particle. We experimentally study how both the spin and orbital angular momentum of light behaves upon passage through microscopic optically trapped particles. Particles trapped with Gaussian and, separately, Bessel light beams in two spatially distinct sample chambers are studied with trapped objects in the first chamber acting as distorting obstacles. We examine the differences between Bessel beams and Gaussian beams in such experiments. We also show how the Bessel beam can be used to simultaneously trap particles that can be as much as 1cm away from each other. We discuss applications of these results and suggest other topics where the Bessel beam may be of use.