Measuring the translational and rotational velocities of particles in helical motion using structured light

Abstract

We measure the rotational and translational velocity components of particles moving in helical motion under a Laguerre-Gaussian mode illumination. The moving particle reflects light that acquires an additional frequency shift proportional to the velocity of rotation in the transverse plane, on top of the usual frequency shift due to the longitudinal motion. We determined both the translational and rotational velocities of the particles by switching between two modes: by illuminating with a Gaussian beam, we can isolate the longitudinal frequency shift; and by using a Laguerre-Gaussian mode, the frequency shift due to the rotation can be determined. Our technique can be used to characterize the motility of microorganisms with a full three-dimensional movement.