Radiation Pressure on a Dielectric Sphere in a Gaussian Laser Beam

Abstract

We have derived the formulae for the radiation pressure exerted on a dielectric sphere in a gaussian laser beam from the scalar solution of the associated scattering problem. Following these formulae an optical potential well is formed by using two anti-parallel, collinear laser beams in which particles (polystyrene spheres, diameter 5·70 w m) suspended in water are trapped and held, in spite of substantial disturbance due to water convection.