Abstract
Radiation pressure that is induced by photon momentum transfer from refracted and reflected laser light to scattering particles is strong enough (pico-Newtons) to levitate and move microparticles against gravity and viscous drag, which has been applied to noncontact and nondestructive manipulation of polymer latexes, liquid droplets, metal powders, biological cells, etc.1 We have succeeded in achieving radiation-pressure-induced reactions such as phase transition of polymer gels2and fusion of swelled micelles.3 Radiation pressure also can be used as an optical spring for characterizing physical interactions between microparticles and solid surfaces and for analyzing atomic and molecular forces such as van der Waals and electric-double-layer forces. For these studies it is indispensable to quantitatively measure the strength and potential energy of radiation pressure and their spatial distributions.
© 1997 Optical Society of America
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