Opto Propeller Effect on Chiral Micro-Rotors

TL;DR

This paper investigates the optically induced torque on chiral micro-rotors in viscous liquids, analyzing the effects of circular polarized lasers, and models their motion considering thermal fluctuations for potential micro-carrier applications.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of opto-induced torque and friction on micro-rotors, including numerical and theoretical models accounting for thermal fluctuations and handedness separation.

Findings

Friction torque is linear with angular velocity, depending on the cube of the rotor radius.

Reflection beams cancel axial forces, enabling controlled rotation.

Numerical models match experimental conditions for micro-torque measurement.

Abstract

Manipulating mega biomolecules and micro-devices with light is highly appealing. Opto driving torque can propel micro-rotors to translational motion in viscous liquid, and then separate microsystems according to their handedness. We study the torque of dielectric loss generated by circular polarized lasers. The unwanted axial force which causes the handedness independent translational motion is cancelled by the counter propagating reflection beams. The propelling efficiency and the friction torque of water are obtained by solving the Navier-Stokes equation. In the interesting range of parameters, the numerical friction torque is found to be linear in the angular velocity with a slope depending on the radius or rotor as $r^3$. The time-dependent distribution of angular velocity is obtained as a solution of the Fokker-Planck equation, with which the thermal fluctuation is accounted. The results shed light on the micro-torque measurement and suggest a controllable micro-carrier.