Optical Forces

In a Nutshell

Light can excert a forced or torque onto matter it is interacting with. This optical force acting on microscopic particles can be decomposed into various constituents. Strength and direction of each force component depend on the optical parameters of the particle, the ambient medium and the structure of the surrounding light field. We investigate optically induced mechanical action occurring in structured trapping beams, and we explore potential applications in optical sensing and manipulation.