Scattering of inhomogeneous circularly polarized optical field and mechanical manifestation of the internal energy flows

Abstract

Based on the Mie theory and on the incident beam model via superposition of two plane waves, we analyze numerically the momentum flux of the field scattered by a spherical, nonmagnetic microparticle placed within the spatially inhomogeneous circularly polarized paraxial light beam. The asymmetry between the forward- and backward-scattered momentum fluxes in the Rayleigh scattering regime appears due to the spin part of the internal energy flow in the incident beam. The transverse ponderomotive forces exerted on dielectric and conducting particles of different sizes are calculated and special features of the mechanical actions produced by the spin and orbital parts of the internal energy flow are recognized. In particular, the transverse orbital flow exerts the transverse force that grows as a3 for conducting and as a6 for dielectric subwavelength particle with radius a, in compliance with the dipole mechanism of the field-particle interaction; the force associated with the spin flow behaves as a8 in both cases, which testifies for the nondipole mechanism. The results can be used for experimental identification and separate investigation of the spin and orbital parts of the internal energy flow in light fields. © 2012 American Physical Society.