Study of light induced attractive force between two metallic bodies with a sub wavelength slit

• Applicant: Dr. Vladimir Nesterov
• Subject Area: Microsystems ; Optics, Quantum Optics and Physics of Atoms, Molecules and Plasmas
• Term: from 2013 to 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 222380895

The development of methods for the manipulation of macro, micro and nano objects by laser light is of high interest for modern technologies. With modern optical tweezers mostly dielectric particles are manipulated. A manipulation of metallic particles bigger than hundred nanometers is virtually not possible with modern optical tweezers. A new light induced force was predicted, which, according to the theoretical model, arises when polarized light is inserted into a slit formed by two metallic bodies and the slit width is smaller than half the light wavelength. The force can be used to manipulate metallic macro, micro and nano objects in vacuum and in liquids. Estimation of the magnitude of the force showed that it is sufficient for a practical application. One possibility would be the development of optical switchable structures. The already made advances towards the experimental verification of the force are described in this project proposal. The Goal of the project is the final experimental verification, the improvement of the theoretical model for the light induced force and the studies of the forces dependency on different parameters such as the slit width.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants