Modeling of optical binding of submicron aerosol particles in counterpropagating Bessel beams

Abstract

We theoretically investigate the interparticle force between a pair of spherical aerosol nanoparticles in a dual counterpropagating Bessel beam configuration. We study the dependence of optical binding in the aerosol phase on the wavelength of the electromagnetic radiation, the particle radius, and the refractive index, including the cases of weak, moderate, and strong light absorption by the particles. We also investigate the relation between optical binding and the time-averaged intensity of the incident and scattered light. Our results show that optical binding in the aerosol phase depends strongly on the specific values of these parameters. This explains some of the difficulties associated with optical binding experiments with aerosol nanoparticles.