Optical manipulation at planar dielectric surfaces using evanescent Hermite-Gaussian light

TY - JOUR

T1 - Optical manipulation at planar dielectric surfaces using evanescent Hermite-Gaussian light

AU - Al-Awfi, S.

AU - Bougouffa, S.

AU - Babiker, M.

PY - 2010/3/15

Y1 - 2010/3/15

N2 - We show that a set of high order Hermite-Gaussian light beams when internally reflected at a dielectric/vacuum interface can generate well-defined evanescent light modes in each of which the intensity distribution is confined to a sub-wavelength region near the interface outside the dielectric. We suggest that this could greatly facilitate lateral optical manipulation of nano-particles and neutral atoms along the interface. Equally significantly, the scenario could lead to the formation of two-dimensional optical potential arrays and surface optical lattices that could form a suitable architecture for the implementation of quantum computing using neutral atoms. Published by Elsevier B.V.

AB - We show that a set of high order Hermite-Gaussian light beams when internally reflected at a dielectric/vacuum interface can generate well-defined evanescent light modes in each of which the intensity distribution is confined to a sub-wavelength region near the interface outside the dielectric. We suggest that this could greatly facilitate lateral optical manipulation of nano-particles and neutral atoms along the interface. Equally significantly, the scenario could lead to the formation of two-dimensional optical potential arrays and surface optical lattices that could form a suitable architecture for the implementation of quantum computing using neutral atoms. Published by Elsevier B.V.

KW - Nanoscale

KW - Optical manipulation

KW - Atoms at surfaces

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=74549157735&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.optcom.2009.10.119

DO - 10.1016/j.optcom.2009.10.119

M3 - Article

SN - 0030-4018

VL - 283

SP - 1022

EP - 1025

JO - Optics Communications

JF - Optics Communications

IS - 6

ER -