Abstract

Illumination of a colloidal suspension by wide laser beams can lead to various forms of self-arrangements of microparticles into so called optical matter. Usually only one-dimensional structures in space or two-dimensional structures near the surface were observed. Recently, we have demonstrated the formation of two and three-dimensional optically bound structures in laser beams of dynamically variable spatial intensity profiles. Such structures can be spatially reconfigured or turned into motion by tailoring the laser beam properties.

© 2013 Optical Society of America