title: Forces in optical tweezers with radially and azimuthally polarized trapping beams.
abstract: It has been suggested that radially polarized beams can be used to improve the performance of optical tweezers, with reduced scattering force resulting from both the polarization and the dark center of the beam [Opt. Lett. 32, 1839 (2007)]. We calculate the forces on particles in such traps, using rigorous electromagnetic theory, comparing the results with azimuthally polarized beam, circularly polarized LG 01 beams, and Gaussian beams. Our results agree qualitatively with Opt. Lett. 32, 1839 (2007), but differ quantitatively.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Biophotonics and Laser Science, School of Physical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia. timo@physics.uq.edu.au
authors.forename: Timo A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Nieminen
authors.forename: Norman R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Heckenberg
authors.forename: Halina
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rubinsztein-Dunlop