Surface Plasmon Radiation Forces
Abstract
We report the first experimental observation of momentum transfer from a surface plasmon to a single dielectric sphere. Using a photonic force microscope, we measure the plasmon radiation forces on different polystyrene beads as a function of their distance from the metal surface. We show that the force magnitude at resonance is strongly enhanced compared to a nonresonant illumination. Measurements performed as a function of the probe particle size indicate that optical manipulation by plasmon fields has a strong potential for optical sorting.
- Publication:
-
Physical Review Letters
- Pub Date:
- June 2006
- DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevLett.96.238101
- Bibcode:
- 2006PhRvL..96w8101V
- Keywords:
-
- 87.80.Cc;
- 42.25.Fx;
- 73.20.Mf;
- Optical trapping;
- Diffraction and scattering;
- Collective excitations