Self-Trapping of Optical Beams through Thermophoresis

Abstract

We demonstrate, theoretically and experimentally, self-trapping of optical beams in nanoparticle suspensions by virtue of thermophoresis. We use light to control the local concentration of nanoparticles, and increase their density at the center of the optical beam, thereby increasing the effective refractive index in the beam vicinity, causing the beam to self-trap.