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Controlling the sign of optical forces using metaoptics.

Adeel Afridi^1,2, Bruno Melo^1,2, Nadine Meyer^3,4

¹Nanophotonic Systems Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland.

Nature Communications

|January 9, 2026

Summary

Researchers demonstrate novel meta-optics for precise optical manipulation, enabling both attractive and repulsive forces on nanoscale mechanical systems. This breakthrough offers new possibilities for fundamental research and engineering applications.

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Area of Science:

Nanotechnology
Optics
Materials Science

Background:

Optical trapping typically relies on light intensity to attract objects.
Existing methods are limited in controlling the direction of optical forces.

Purpose of the Study:

To demonstrate deterministic control over optical forces using meta-optics.
To engineer attractive and repulsive forces on metasurfaces.

Main Methods:

Designing and fabricating metasurfaces with tailored meta-atoms.
Engineering coherent superposition of multipolar modes.
Utilizing phase-controlled optical standing waves.

Main Results:

Achieved deterministic control over the sign of optical forces.
Experimentally realized both attractive and repulsive forces on distinct metasurface designs.
Results showed excellent agreement with 3D numerical simulations.

Conclusions:

Meta-optics enables a departure from conventional optical trapping behavior.
Established a versatile platform for optical control of nanoscale mechanical systems.
Opened new avenues for fundamental research and engineering in optics and nanotechnology.