Manipulation of optically fabricated particle arrays using broadband radiation

Abstract

Consideration is given to methods of manipulating optically fabricated particle arrays using broadband radiation and a superposition of optical fields. Specifically, the changes that the optical binding energy experiences, when part of the spectrum of this light is filtered, are analyzed. It is then shown that these optically induced arrays can be reordered by the introduction of additional fields with transverse Poynting vectors. Subsequently, it is shown how pairs of particles can be reordered on a surface by modifying the form of the optical binding interaction. Finally, the effect of particle size on these methods is briefly discussed. © 2009 SPIE.