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Updated: Jun 28, 2026

The Generation of Higher-order Laguerre-Gauss Optical Beams for High-precision Interferometry
Published on: August 12, 2013
Optical binding and the influence of beam structure
Justo Rodríguez1, David L Andrews
1Nanostructures and Photomolecular Systems, School of Chemical Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom.
Abstract:
An optically induced interparticle potential, applicable to particles of any shape, is derived in a formulation that accommodates the effects of beam structure. The theory allows the consideration of optical binding interactions in beams of spatially varying irradiance and polarization. Results of specific calculations are exhibited for spherical particles in linearly, circularly, and radially polarized Laguerre-Gaussian beams, leading to the identification of several possible optically induced particle arrangements. The patterning of these optically induced structures is shown to have an identical dependence on the optical wavenumber and spot size at the beam waist.
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