Optical radiation force on a dielectric sphere by a polarized Airy beam

Abstract

The optical radiation force acting on a homogeneous and lossless dielectric spherical particle by a polarized Airy beam is analyzed in terms of the generalized Lorenz–Mie theory. The transverse and longitudinal radiation force components are theoretically evaluated and numerically simulated, emphasizing the transverse scale ω 0 , attenuation parameter γ , and polarization of the incident Airy beam versus the size parameter k a of the sphere. These results reveal that a polarized Airy beam can trap the dielectric sphere in its main caustic or sidelobes of the beam by the optical transverse force and be guided along the parabolic trajectory of the longitudinal optical force. Moreover, γ and ω 0 of the Airy beams and k a of the dielectric sphere can affect the amplitude and distribution of the optical force components. This research may be helpful for the development of Airy optical tweezers in applications involving particle manipulation, optical levitation, particle sorting, and other emergent areas.