Superfast and sub-wavelength orbital rotation of plasmonic particles in focused Gaussian beams

Abstract

The use of nanophotonics for optical manipulation has continuously attracted interest in both fundamental research and practical applications, due to its significantly enhanced capabilities at the nanoscale. In this work, we showed that plasmonic particles can be trapped at off-axis location in Gaussian beams assisted by surface plasmon resonance. The off-axis displacement can be tuned at the sub-wavelength scale by the incident light beams. Based on these, we propose that a superfast orbital rotation of particles in a continuous-wave laser beam can be realized in tightly focused circularly polarized Gaussian beams. The rotation has a tunable orbital radius at the sub-wavelength scale and a superfast rotation speed (more than 104 r/s in water under common laboratory conditions). Our work will aid in the development of optically driven nanomachines and find applications in micro-/nano-rheology, micro-fluid mechanics, and biological research at the nanoscale.