ABSTRACT
We present the use of optical fibers to form a counter-propagating optical trap as a means of manipulating both solid and liquid aerosols. We explore the use of single and multimode fibers to achieve trapping of various particles in air, present the trapping properties of the different fiber types and compare the observed trends to those predicted by theory. Using fibers, we are able to hold suspended particles for extended periods of time and to precisely manipulate them over distances of several hundred microns. We discuss the difficulties and advantages of each fiber configuration and conclude with a demonstration that fiber based trapping offers a good candidate for studying optical binding in air.
Subject(s)
Aerosols/isolation & purification , Fiber Optic Technology/instrumentation , Micromanipulation/instrumentation , Optical Tweezers , Specimen Handling/instrumentation , Equipment Design , Equipment Failure Analysis , Micromanipulation/methods , Optical FibersABSTRACT
We demonstrate the existence of elliptic vortices of electromagnetic scalar wave fields. The corresponding intensity profiles are formed by propagation-invariant confocal elliptic rings. We have found that copropagation of this kind of vortex occurs without interaction. The results presented here also apply for physical systems described by the (2+1) -dimensional Schrödinger equation.
ABSTRACT
Based on the separability of the Helmholtz equation into elliptical cylindrical coordinates, we present another class of invariant optical fields that may have a highly localized distribution along one of the transverse directions and a sharply peaked quasi-periodic structure along the other. These fields are described by the radial and angular Mathieu functions. We identify the corresponding function in the McCutchen sphere that produces this kind of beam and propose an experimental setup for the realization of an invariant optical field.
