Self alignment and instability of waveguides induced by optical forces

TL;DR

This paper explores how optical forces in waveguides can cause them to self-align or become unstable, depending on geometry and polarization, revealing new fundamental behaviors driven by guided and scattered light.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of waveguide self alignment and instability induced by optical forces, highlighting the role of near-field interactions and polarization effects.

Findings

Waveguides can self-align due to optical forces.

Waveguides can become unstable depending on geometry and polarization.

Optical forces are influenced by guided mode and scattered light interactions.

Abstract

We introduce a new fundamental property of waveguides induced by the forces of the guided light, namely, the ability to self align or be in instability. A nanoscale waveguide broken by an offset and a gap may tend to self align to form a continuous waveguide. Conversely, depending on the geometry and light polarization, the two parts of the waveguide may be deflected away from each other, thus being in an unstable state. These effects are unique as they rely on the presence of both the guided mode and the scattered light. Strong self alignment forces may be facilitated by near field interaction with polarization surface charges.