Hollow Bessel-like beam as an optical guide for a stream of microscopic particles

Opt Express. 2013 Dec 16;21(25):30492-9. doi: 10.1364/OE.21.030492.

Abstract

Current aerosol sample injection methods for coherent x-ray morphology suffer from excessive sample consumption due to the dispersion of the aerosol. To remedy this we propose here a high aspect ratio optical funnel by using a hollow Bessel-like beam with variable divergence, which may reduce sample consumption significantly. We present estimated optical forces exerted on the particles in the transverse plane, depending on various experimental conditions. We show that light pressure imposed by a funnel formed with 4.2 W continuous wave laser is sufficient to divert a stream of 2 µm polystyrene particles travelling ~50 m/s by ~1.5 × 10(-3) rad.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Colloids / chemistry*
  • Colloids / radiation effects
  • Computer Simulation
  • Computer-Aided Design
  • Equipment Design
  • Equipment Failure Analysis
  • Flow Injection Analysis / instrumentation*
  • Lighting / instrumentation*
  • Models, Theoretical
  • Optical Tweezers*
  • Particle Size
  • Surface Plasmon Resonance / instrumentation*

Substances

  • Colloids