Structured transverse orbital angular momentum probed by a levitated optomechanical sensor

Abstract

The momentum carried by structured light fields exhibits a rich array of surprising features. In this work, we generate transverse orbital angular momentum (TOAM) in the interference field of two parallel and counterpropagating linearly-polarised focused beams, synthesising an array of identical handedness vortices carrying intrinsic TOAM. We explore this structured light field using an optomechanical sensor, consisting of an optically levitated silicon nanorod, whose rotation is a probe of the optical angular momentum, which generates an exceptionally large torque. This simple creation and direct observation of TOAM will have applications in studies of fundamental physics, the optical manipulation of matter and quantum optomechanics.

References in corpus (5)

• Measuring the Transverse Spin Density of Light
• Spatio-temporal vortex beams and angular momentum
• Rotational Quantum Friction
• Full Rotational Control of Levitated Silicon Nanorods
• Formation of optical vortices using coherent laser beam arrays

Cited by in corpus (5)

• Photon-efficient optical tweezers via wavefront shaping
• Trapping microparticles in a structured dark focus
• Theory of angular momentum transfer from light to molecules
• Radiation forces and torques in optics and acoustics
• Coherent phase control of orbital-angular-momentum light-induced torque in a double-tripod atom-light coupling scheme