volume | PIER Journals

Abstract

The electromagnetic force acting on a Rayleigh particle placed in a rectangular waveguide is studied. The particle is excited using the lowest order TE₁₀ mode. It is determined that the particle is laterally trapped at the high intensity region of the electric field and either pushed away from or pulled toward the light source. This push-pull phenomenon depends on whether the frequency of the light wave is above or below the cutoff frequency (i.e. the particle can be pushed or pulled by tuning the frequency). While conventional optical tweezers rely on a balance of scattering and gradient force in the propagation direction, the phenomenon predicted here switches between the two forces near the lowest cutoff in a waveguide.

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Dr. Nayan Kumar Paul

Dr. Brandon A. Kemp