Orbital-angular-momentum transfer to optically levitated microparticles in vacuum

TY - JOUR

T1 - Orbital-angular-momentum transfer to optically levitated microparticles in vacuum

AU - Mazilu, Michael

AU - Arita, Yoshihiko

AU - Vettenburg, Tom

AU - Auñón, Juan M.

AU - Wright, Ewan M.

AU - Dholakia, Kishan

PY - 2016/11/11

Y1 - 2016/11/11

N2 - We demonstrate the transfer of orbital angular momentum to an optically levitated microparticle in vacuum. 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.

AB - We demonstrate the transfer of orbital angular momentum to an optically levitated microparticle in vacuum. 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.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/84994708660

U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevA.94.053821

DO - 10.1103/PhysRevA.94.053821

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84994708660

SN - 2469-9926

VL - 94

JO - Physical Review A

JF - Physical Review A

IS - 5

M1 - 053821

ER -