Optical trapping and moving of microparticles by using asymmetrical Laguerre–Gaussian beams

Alexey A. Kovalev, Victor V. Kotlyar, and Alexey P. Porfirev

We considered a generalization of the Laguerre–Gaussian (LG) laser beam family by using a complex shift of the beam complex amplitude in Cartesian coordinates. In this case, LG-beams lose their axial symmetry. The normalized orbital angular momentum is the sum of the beam topological charge and the term which is in square dependence on the asymmetry parameter. By optical trapping and moving the polystyrene microspheres in the focus of the asymmetric LG-beam, it is proven that the velocity of the microspheres increases with increasing the asymmetry parameter and constant topological charge.

DOI