We show, by means of simple model calculations, how a weak laser beam sent though an optical fiber exerts a transverse radiation force if there is an azimuthal asymmetry present in the fiber such that one side has a slightly different refractive index than the other. The refractive index difference Δn needs only to be very low, of order 10-3, to produce an appreciable transverse displacement of order 10 μm. We argue that the effect has probably already been seen in a recent experiment by W. She et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 243601 (2008)], and we discuss the correspondence between these observations and the theory presented. The effect could be used to bend optical fibers in a predictable and controlled manner and we propose that it could be useful for micron-scale devices.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Transverse radiation force in a tailored optical fiber
Iver Brevik and Simen Å. Ellingsen
We show, by means of simple model calculations, how a weak laser beam sent though an optical fiber exerts a transverse radiation force if there is an azimuthal asymmetry present in the fiber such that one side has a slightly different refractive index than the other. The refractive index difference Δn needs only to be very low, of order 10-3, to produce an appreciable transverse displacement of order 10 μm. We argue that the effect has probably already been seen in a recent experiment by W. She et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 243601 (2008)], and we discuss the correspondence between these observations and the theory presented. The effect could be used to bend optical fibers in a predictable and controlled manner and we propose that it could be useful for micron-scale devices.
We show, by means of simple model calculations, how a weak laser beam sent though an optical fiber exerts a transverse radiation force if there is an azimuthal asymmetry present in the fiber such that one side has a slightly different refractive index than the other. The refractive index difference Δn needs only to be very low, of order 10-3, to produce an appreciable transverse displacement of order 10 μm. We argue that the effect has probably already been seen in a recent experiment by W. She et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 243601 (2008)], and we discuss the correspondence between these observations and the theory presented. The effect could be used to bend optical fibers in a predictable and controlled manner and we propose that it could be useful for micron-scale devices.
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