Light-induced rotations of chiral birefringent microparticles in optical tweezers.
We study the rotational dynamics of solid chiral and birefringent microparticles induced by elliptically polarized laser light in optical tweezers. We find that both reflection of left circularly polarized light and residual linear retardance affect the particle dynamics. The degree of ellipticity of laser light needed to induce rotations is found. The experimental results are compared with analytical calculations of the transfer of angular moment from elliptically polarized light to chiral birefringent particles.
CNR-IPCF, Istituto per i Processi Chimico-Fisici, V. le F. Stagno D'Alcontres 37, 98158 Messina, Italy.
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Donato
CNR- Nanotec, UOS Cosenza, Ponte P. Bucci, Cubo 33B, 87036 Rende (CS), Italy.
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Mazzulla
CNR- Nanotec, UOS Cosenza, Ponte P. Bucci, Cubo 33B, 87036 Rende (CS), Italy.|Dipartimento di Fisica, Università della Calabria, Ponte P. Bucci, Cubo 33B, 87036 Rende (CS), Italy.
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Pagliusi
CNR-IPCF, Istituto per i Processi Chimico-Fisici, V. le F. Stagno D'Alcontres 37, 98158 Messina, Italy.
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Magazzù
CNR- Nanotec, UOS Cosenza, Ponte P. Bucci, Cubo 33B, 87036 Rende (CS), Italy.
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Hernandez
Dipartimento di Fisica, Università della Calabria, Ponte P. Bucci, Cubo 33B, 87036 Rende (CS), Italy.
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Provenzano
CNR-IPCF, Istituto per i Processi Chimico-Fisici, V. le F. Stagno D'Alcontres 37, 98158 Messina, Italy.
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Gucciardi
CNR-IPCF, Istituto per i Processi Chimico-Fisici, V. le F. Stagno D'Alcontres 37, 98158 Messina, Italy.
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Maragò
CNR- Nanotec, UOS Cosenza, Ponte P. Bucci, Cubo 33B, 87036 Rende (CS), Italy.|Dipartimento di Fisica, Università della Calabria, Ponte P. Bucci, Cubo 33B, 87036 Rende (CS), Italy.
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Cipparrone