Optical forces and torques on realistic plasmonic nanostructures: a surface integral approach

Area of Science:

• Nanophotonics
• Computational Electromagnetics
• Optical Forces

Background:

• Calculating optical forces on nanostructures is crucial for manipulating matter with light.
• Existing methods can be computationally intensive or limited in handling complex geometries.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel and efficient formalism for calculating optical forces and torques on complex nanostructures.
• To enable accurate force calculations directly on the scatterer surface, simplifying the process for intricate designs.

Main Methods:

• Combining the surface integral equation (SIE) technique with Maxwell's stress tensor.
• Calculating optical forces directly from surface currents obtained via SIE.
• Validating the method against Mie theory for accuracy.

Main Results:

• The developed formalism accurately calculates optical forces and torques on nanostructures.
• The SIE approach efficiently handles complex and realistic geometries, such as plasmonic antennas.
• The method demonstrates flexibility through simulations of intricate plasmonic systems.

Conclusions:

• The novel formalism provides an accurate and efficient way to compute optical forces on complex nanostructures.
• This method is particularly advantageous for intricate geometries where traditional approaches may struggle.
• The technique offers a flexible tool for advancing research in nanophotonics and plasmonics.