No Arabic abstract
This paper aims to maximize optical force and torque on arbitrary micro- and nano-scale objects using numerically optimized structured illumination. By developing a numerical framework for computer-automated design of 3d vector-field illumination, we demonstrate a 20-fold enhancement in optical torque per intensity over circularly polarized plane wave on a model plasmonic particle. The nonconvex optimization is efficiently performed by combining a compact cylindrical Bessel basis representation with a fast boundary element method and a standard derivative-free, local optimization algorithm. We analyze the optimization results for 2000 random initial configurations, discuss the tradeoff between robustness and enhancement, and compare the different effects of multipolar plasmon resonances on enhancing force and torque. All results are obtained using open-source computational software available online.
Due to their unique ability to maintain an intensity distribution upon propagation, non-diffracting light fields are used extensively in various areas of science, including optical tweezers, nonlinear optics and quantum optics, in applications where complex transverse field distributions are required. However, the number and type of rigorously non-diffracting beams is severely limited because their symmetry is dictated by one of the coordinate system where the Helmholtz equation governing beam propagation is separable. Here, we demonstrate a powerful technique that allows the generation of a rich variety of quasi-non-diffracting optical beams featuring nearly arbitrary intensity distributions in the transverse plane. These can be readily engineered via modifications of the angular spectrum of the beam in order to meet the requirements of particular applications. Such beams are not rigorously non-diffracting but they maintain their shape over large distances, which may be tuned by varying the width of the angular spectrum. We report the generation of unique spiral patterns and patterns involving arbitrary combinations of truncated harmonic, Bessel, Mathieu, or parabolic beams occupying different spatial domains. Optical trapping experiments illustrate the opto-mechanical properties of such beams.
Two formulations of the Lorentz law of force in classical electrodynamics yield identical results for the total force (and total torque) of radiation on a solid object. The object may be surrounded by the free space or immersed in a transparent dielectric medium such as a liquid. We discuss the relation between these two formulations and extend the proof of their equivalence to the case of solid objects immersed in a transparent medium.
Expanded porphyrin-based (Hexaphyrins) sensitizers are promising due to their excellent light harvesting feature in dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). We calculated the low-lying excitations of expanded porphyrins (EPs) as hexaphyrin and core modified hexaphyrin structures using Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory. Our calculation showed the EPs (both hexaphyrin and core modified hexaphyrin) have broad range of absorption band suitable for harvesting the visible and near infrared region of solar spectrum. All EPs studied here satisfy the energy condition of singlet fission (SF). SF is the process in which the theoretical limit of Shockley-Quiesser (SQ) (33%) can be overcome in single junction solar cell. The non-linear optical properties like first hyper polarizability $beta$ and second order hyper polarizability $gamma$ were calculated using coupled perturbed Hartree-Fock approach. From the second order NLO properties we carried out degenerate four wave mixing (DFWM) component ($gamma^{(2)}(-omega;omega,omega,-omega$)) and finally quadratic non linear refractive indices of these EPs are calculated. Calculation showed EPs are promising as organic dye for the opto-electronic applications and useful for high efficiency DSSC and also useful for potential NLO materials as their hyper polarizabilities showed higher order non linearities.
A key element in the generation of optical torque in optical traps, which occurs when electromagnetic angular momentum is transferred from the trapping beam to the trapped particle by scattering, is the symmetries of the scattering particle and the trapping beam. We discuss the effect of such symmetries on the generation and measurement of optical torque in optical tweezers, and some consequent general principles for the design of optically-driven micromachines.
We show that a system of three trapped ultracold and strongly interacting atoms in one-dimension can be emulated using an optical fiber with a graded-index profile and thin metallic slabs. While the wave-nature of single quantum particles leads to direct and well known analogies with classical optics, for interacting many-particle systems with unrestricted statistics such analoga are not straightforward. Here we study the symmetries present in the fiber eigenstates by using discrete group theory and show that, by spatially modulating the incident field, one can select the atomic statistics, i.e., emulate a system of three bosons, fermions or two bosons or fermions plus an additional distinguishable particle. We also show that the optical system is able to produce classical non-separability resembling that found in the analogous atomic system.