Optical manipulation of macroscopic curved objects

doi:10.15302/frontphys.2025.012201

Front. Phys.

2025, Vol. 20

Issue (1) : 12201 https://doi.org/10.15302/frontphys.2025.012201

Optical manipulation of macroscopic curved objects

Gui-hua Chen^1,², Mu-ying Wu¹, Yong-qing Li^1,³(

)

¹. School of Electronic Engineering & Intelligentization, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan 523808, China
². Institute of Science & Technology Innovation, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan 523808, China
³. Department of Physics, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina 27858-4353, USA

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Abstract

Laser has become a powerful tool to manipulate micro-particles and atoms by radiation pressure or photophoretic force, but its effectiveness for large objects is less noticeable. Here, we report the direct observation of unusual light-induced attractive forces that allow manipulating centimeter-sized curved absorbing objects by a light beam. This force is attributed to the radiometric effect caused by the curvature of the vane and its magnitude and temporal responses are directly measured with a pendulum. Simulations suggest that the force arises from the bending of the vane, which results in a temperature difference of gas molecules between the concave and convex sides due to unbalanced gas convection. This large force (~4.4 μN) is sufficient to rotate a motor with four curved vanes at speeds up to 600 r/min and even lifting a large vane. Manipulating macroscopic objects by light could have significant applications for solar radiation-powered near-space propulsion systems and for understanding the mechanisms of negative photophoretic forces.

Keywords optical manipulation radiometric force geometry effect unbalanced gas convection

Corresponding Author(s): Yong-qing Li

About author:

Just Accepted Date: 14 September 2024 Issue Date: 11 October 2024

Cite this article:

Gui-hua Chen,Mu-ying Wu,Yong-qing Li. Optical manipulation of macroscopic curved objects[J]. Front. Phys. , 2025, 20(1): 12201.

URL:

https://academic.hep.com.cn/fop/EN/10.15302/frontphys.2025.012201
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fop/EN/Y2025/V20/I1/12201

Fig.1 Laser manipulation of a curved vane. (a) Schematic of the setup for pulling a curved vane with a laser beam. The light-absorbing cylindrical aluminum vane (8 mm × 8 mm in size, 15 μm in thickness) is suspended as a pendulum by an ultrafine copper wire and is pulled toward the laser beam. (b) Position of the black curved vane without laser illumination. (c) Position of the curved vane under laser illumination. (d) Angular displacement of the pendulum as a function of gas pressure. (e) Angular displacement as a function of the central angle of the vane at a pressure of 0.1 Torr. The laser power is 0.7 W at a wavelength of 450 nm.

Fig.2 Radiometric force (

F R M

) on a heated curved vane due to molecular collisions. (a) Schematic showing tangential shear forces (

F t

) on the surface of a hot flat vane caused by gas flow. The net

F R M

on the flat vane is zero due to geometric balance. (b) Normal pressure force (

F n

) and shear force on a surface element of a concave vane, with the total

F R M

pointing in the upward direction. Molecules incident on the convex side experience single collisions, while molecules incident on the concave side undergo multiple collisions. (c)

F R M

acting on a convex vane. (d) Experimental angular displacement versus time of a pendulum (with an 8 mm × 8 mm cylindrical vane) when a 1 W laser beam is turned on or off at a pressure of 0.1 Torr. (e) Theoretical modeling of the dynamic angular displacement of the pendulum, with rise time

τ r

= 0.9 s, fall time

τ f

= 2.4 s, damping coefficient

β

= 0.12 s⁻¹, and pendulum length

L

= 70 mm.

Fig.3 The distribution of the velocity and temperature of gas molecules near the vane on the horizontal plane bisecting the vane. (a, b) The velocity and temperature distribution of gas molecules near a flat vane. (c, d) The velocity and temperature distribution of gas molecules near a curved vane with the center angle of 90°. (e, f) The velocity and temperature distribution of gas molecules near a curved vane with the center angle of 180°. These three vanes have the same size with different degrees of bending.

Fig.4 Crookes radiometer with four-curved vanes or black-white flat vanes. (a) When a concave absorbing aluminum surface is illuminated by a laser beam, the pulling force turns the vane towards the beam. (b) When a black-white flat paper vane is illuminated, the pushing force turns the vane away from the beam. (c?e) Laser-induced attractive, zero, or repulsive force on a concave (c), flat-plate (d), or convex surface (e). (f) Rotation speed of Crookes radiometer with concave, flat-plate, and convex aluminum vanes with the same size (16 mm × 16 mm × 0.05 mm) verse the laser power. The pressure is 0.02 Torr.

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