Far field interference measurements of vortex light fields in optical trapping

Abstract

The interaction between light and particles in an optical trap provides a tool for physicists to study Brownian motion and dynamics for objects in the micron to nano-sized regime. In this paper, we describe how the forward scattering light field from micro-particles trapped in an optical vortex beam provides a means of studying the helicity and coherence of the trapping beam. Hence, optical trapping may be implemented to study of the relative phase and spatial coherence of two points in trapping light fields with arbitrary wavefronts. Show more