Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) beams are important in optical micromanipulation. We show that optically trapped microparticles within a monochromatic LG beam may lead to the formation of unique intensity patterns in the far field due to multiple interference of the forward scattered light from each particle. Trapped colloids create far field interference that exhibits distinct spiral wave patterns that are directly correlated to the helicity of the LG beam. Using two trapped particles, we demonstrate the first microscopic version of a Young’s slits type experiment and detect the azimuthal phase variation around the LG beam circumference. This novel technique may be implemented to study the relative phase and spatial coherence of two points in trapping light fields with arbitrary wavefronts.

© 2006 Optical Society of America

1. J. F.  Nye and M. V.  Berry, "Dislocations in wave trains," Proc. R. Soc. London Ser. A  336,165-90 (1974). [CrossRef]
2. J.  Masajada and B.  Dubik, "Optical vortex generation by three plane wave interference," Opt. Commun.  198, 21-27 (2001) [CrossRef]
3. S. Inouye, S. Gupta, T. Rosenband, A. P. Chikkatur, A. Görlitz, T. L. Gustavson, A. E. Leanhardt, D. E. Pritchard, and W. Ketterle, "Observation of vortex phase singularities in Bose-Einstein Condensates," Phys. Rev. Lett. 87,080402 (2001) [CrossRef] [PubMed]
4. B. Freedman, G. Bartal, M. Segev, R. Lifshitz, D.N. Christodoulides and J.W. Fleischer, "Wave and defect dynamics in nonlinear photonic quasicrystals," Nature 440, 1166-1169 (2006) [CrossRef] [PubMed]
5. L. Allen, M. W. Beijersbergen, R. J. C. Spreeuw, and J. P. Woerdman, "Orbital angular momentum of light and the transformation of Laguerre-Gaussian laser modes," Phys. Rev. A 45, 8185-8189 (1992) [CrossRef] [PubMed]
6. H. He, M. E. J. Friese, N. R. Heckenberg, and H. Rubinsztein-Dunlop, "Direct observation of transfer of angular momentum to absorptive particles from a laser Beam with a phase singularity," Phys. Rev. Lett. 75, 826-829 (1995). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
7. D. Rozas, C.T. Law, G.A. Swartzlander, Jr., "Propagation dynamics of optical vortices," J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 14, 3054-3065 (1997) [CrossRef]
8. G. A. Swartzlander, Jr. and J. Schmit, "Temporal correlation vortices and topological dispersion," Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 093901(2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
9. D. M. Palacios, I. D. Maleev, A. S. Marathay, and G. A. Swartzlander, Jr, "Spatial correlation singularity of a vortex field," Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 143905 (2004) [CrossRef] [PubMed]
10. A. Mair, A. Vaziri, G. Weihs, A. Zeilinger, "Entanglement of the orbital angular momentum states of photons," Nature 412, 313-316 (2001). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
11. A Jesacher, S Furhapter, S Bernet, M. Ritsch-Marte, "Shadow effects in spiral phase contrast microscopy," Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 233902 (2005) [CrossRef] [PubMed]
12. L. Paterson, M. P. MacDonald, J. Arlt, W. Sibbett, P. E. Bryant and K. Dholakia, "Controlled rotation of optically trapped microscopic particles," Science 292, 912-914 (2001). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
13. W. Wang, S.G. Hanson, Y. Miyamoto and M. Takeda, "Experimental investigation of local properties and statistics of optical vortices in random wave fields," Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 103902 (2005) [CrossRef] [PubMed]
14. N. B. Simpson, K. Dholakia, L. Allen and M. J. Padgett, "Mechanical equivalence of spin and orbital angular momentum of light: An optical spanner," Opt Lett 22,52-54 (1997) [CrossRef] [PubMed]
15. K.T. Gahagan and G.A. Swartzlander, Jr, "Simultaneous trapping of low-index and high-index microparticles observed with an optical-vortex trap," J. Opt. Soc. Am. B. 16, 533-537 (1999) [CrossRef]
16. J. Curtis and D. G. Grier, "Structure of optical vortices," Phys. Rev. Lett 90, 133901 (2003) [CrossRef] [PubMed]
17. K. Ladavac and D. G. Grier, "Microoptomechanical pump assembled and driven by holographic optical vortex arrays," Opt Express 12, 1144-1149 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
18. V. Garcés-Chávez, D. McGloin, M.J. Padgett, W. Dultz, H. Schmitzer and K. Dholakia, "Observation of the transfer of the local angular momentum density of a multi-ringed light beam to an optically trapped particle," Phys. Rev. Lett. 91, 093602 (2003), [CrossRef] [PubMed]
19. K Volke-Sepulveda, V. Garcés-Chávez, S. Chávez-Cerda, J. Arlt and K. Dholakia, "Orbital angular momentum of a high-order Bessel light beam," J. Opt. B: Quantum Semiclass Opt. 4, S82-S89 (2002) [CrossRef]
20. A. Ashkin, J. M. Dziedzic, J. E. Bjorkholm, and S. Chu, "Observation of a single-beam gradient force optical trap for dielectric particles," Opt. Lett. 11, 288-290 (1986) [CrossRef] [PubMed]
21. J. -P. Chevaillier, J. Fabre, and P. Hamelin, "Forward scattered light intensities by a sphere located anywhere in a Gaussian beam," Appl Opt 25,1222-1225 (1986) [CrossRef] [PubMed]
22. E. A. Sziklas and A. E. Siegman, "Mode calculations in unstable resonators with flowing saturable gain. 2: Fast Fourier transform method," Appl. Opt. 14, 1874-1889 (1975) [CrossRef] [PubMed]
23. K. O'Holleran, M. J. Padgett, and M. R. Dennis, "Topology of optical vortex lines formed by the interference of three, four, and five plane waves," Opt. Express 14, 3039-3044 (2006) [CrossRef]
24. J.  Leach, M. R.  Dennis, J.  Courtial and M. J.   Padgett, "Vortex knots in light," New J. Phys.  7, 55 (2005). [CrossRef]
25. U. Eichmann, J.C. Bergquist, J.J Bollinger, J.M Gilligan, W.M. Itano, D.J Wineland, M.G Raizen, "Young's interference experiment with light scattered from two atoms," Phys Rev Lett  70, 2359-2362 (1993).  [CrossRef] [PubMed]
26. J. E. Curtis and D. G. Grier, "Modulated optical vortices," Opt Lett 28, 872-874 (2003). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
27. C. López-Mariscal, J. C. Gutiérrez-Vega, G. Milne, and K. Dholakia, "Orbital angular momentum transfer in helical Mathieu beams," Opt. Express 14, 4183-4188 (2006) [CrossRef] [PubMed]
28. J. B. Bentley, J. A. Davis, M. A. Bandres, and J. C. Gutiérrez-Vega, "Generation of helical Ince-Gaussian beams with a liquid-crystal display," Opt. Lett. 31, 649-651 (2006) [CrossRef] [PubMed]
29. P. Fischer, C. T. A. Brown, J. E. Morris, C. López-Mariscal, E. M. Wright, W. Sibbett and K. Dholakia, "White light propagation invariant beams," Opt. Express 13, 6657-6666 (2005) [CrossRef] [PubMed]
30. <other> J.M.R. Fournier, M.M. Burns, J..A. Golovchenko, "Writing Diffractive Structures by Optical Trapping," Proc SPIE -Int Soc Opt Eng 2406, 101-111 (1995)</other>

Appl Opt

• J. -P. Chevaillier, J. Fabre, and P. Hamelin, "Forward scattered light intensities by a sphere located anywhere in a Gaussian beam," Appl Opt 25,1222-1225 (1986) [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Appl. Opt.

• E. A. Sziklas and A. E. Siegman, "Mode calculations in unstable resonators with flowing saturable gain. 2: Fast Fourier transform method," Appl. Opt. 14, 1874-1889 (1975) [CrossRef] [PubMed]

J. Opt. B: Quantum Semiclass Opt.

• K Volke-Sepulveda, V. Garcés-Chávez, S. Chávez-Cerda, J. Arlt and K. Dholakia, "Orbital angular momentum of a high-order Bessel light beam," J. Opt. B: Quantum Semiclass Opt. 4, S82-S89 (2002) [CrossRef]

J. Opt. Soc. Am. B

• D. Rozas, C.T. Law, G.A. Swartzlander, Jr., "Propagation dynamics of optical vortices," J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 14, 3054-3065 (1997) [CrossRef]

J. Opt. Soc. Am. B.

• K.T. Gahagan and G.A. Swartzlander, Jr, "Simultaneous trapping of low-index and high-index microparticles observed with an optical-vortex trap," J. Opt. Soc. Am. B. 16, 533-537 (1999) [CrossRef]

Nature

• A. Mair, A. Vaziri, G. Weihs, A. Zeilinger, "Entanglement of the orbital angular momentum states of photons," Nature 412, 313-316 (2001). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• B. Freedman, G. Bartal, M. Segev, R. Lifshitz, D.N. Christodoulides and J.W. Fleischer, "Wave and defect dynamics in nonlinear photonic quasicrystals," Nature 440, 1166-1169 (2006) [CrossRef] [PubMed]

New J. Phys.

• J.  Leach, M. R.  Dennis, J.  Courtial and M. J.   Padgett, "Vortex knots in light," New J. Phys.  7, 55 (2005). [CrossRef]

Opt Express

• K. Ladavac and D. G. Grier, "Microoptomechanical pump assembled and driven by holographic optical vortex arrays," Opt Express 12, 1144-1149 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Opt Lett

• J. E. Curtis and D. G. Grier, "Modulated optical vortices," Opt Lett 28, 872-874 (2003). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• N. B. Simpson, K. Dholakia, L. Allen and M. J. Padgett, "Mechanical equivalence of spin and orbital angular momentum of light: An optical spanner," Opt Lett 22,52-54 (1997) [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Opt. Commun.

• J.  Masajada and B.  Dubik, "Optical vortex generation by three plane wave interference," Opt. Commun.  198, 21-27 (2001) [CrossRef]

Opt. Express

• C. López-Mariscal, J. C. Gutiérrez-Vega, G. Milne, and K. Dholakia, "Orbital angular momentum transfer in helical Mathieu beams," Opt. Express 14, 4183-4188 (2006) [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• P. Fischer, C. T. A. Brown, J. E. Morris, C. López-Mariscal, E. M. Wright, W. Sibbett and K. Dholakia, "White light propagation invariant beams," Opt. Express 13, 6657-6666 (2005) [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• K. O'Holleran, M. J. Padgett, and M. R. Dennis, "Topology of optical vortex lines formed by the interference of three, four, and five plane waves," Opt. Express 14, 3039-3044 (2006) [CrossRef]

Opt. Lett.

• J. B. Bentley, J. A. Davis, M. A. Bandres, and J. C. Gutiérrez-Vega, "Generation of helical Ince-Gaussian beams with a liquid-crystal display," Opt. Lett. 31, 649-651 (2006) [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• A. Ashkin, J. M. Dziedzic, J. E. Bjorkholm, and S. Chu, "Observation of a single-beam gradient force optical trap for dielectric particles," Opt. Lett. 11, 288-290 (1986) [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Phys Rev Lett

• U. Eichmann, J.C. Bergquist, J.J Bollinger, J.M Gilligan, W.M. Itano, D.J Wineland, M.G Raizen, "Young's interference experiment with light scattered from two atoms," Phys Rev Lett  70, 2359-2362 (1993).  [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Phys. Rev. A

• L. Allen, M. W. Beijersbergen, R. J. C. Spreeuw, and J. P. Woerdman, "Orbital angular momentum of light and the transformation of Laguerre-Gaussian laser modes," Phys. Rev. A 45, 8185-8189 (1992) [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Phys. Rev. Lett

• J. Curtis and D. G. Grier, "Structure of optical vortices," Phys. Rev. Lett 90, 133901 (2003) [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Phys. Rev. Lett.

• W. Wang, S.G. Hanson, Y. Miyamoto and M. Takeda, "Experimental investigation of local properties and statistics of optical vortices in random wave fields," Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 103902 (2005) [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• V. Garcés-Chávez, D. McGloin, M.J. Padgett, W. Dultz, H. Schmitzer and K. Dholakia, "Observation of the transfer of the local angular momentum density of a multi-ringed light beam to an optically trapped particle," Phys. Rev. Lett. 91, 093602 (2003), [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• H. He, M. E. J. Friese, N. R. Heckenberg, and H. Rubinsztein-Dunlop, "Direct observation of transfer of angular momentum to absorptive particles from a laser Beam with a phase singularity," Phys. Rev. Lett. 75, 826-829 (1995). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• S. Inouye, S. Gupta, T. Rosenband, A. P. Chikkatur, A. Görlitz, T. L. Gustavson, A. E. Leanhardt, D. E. Pritchard, and W. Ketterle, "Observation of vortex phase singularities in Bose-Einstein Condensates," Phys. Rev. Lett. 87,080402 (2001) [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• A Jesacher, S Furhapter, S Bernet, M. Ritsch-Marte, "Shadow effects in spiral phase contrast microscopy," Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 233902 (2005) [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• G. A. Swartzlander, Jr. and J. Schmit, "Temporal correlation vortices and topological dispersion," Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 093901(2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• D. M. Palacios, I. D. Maleev, A. S. Marathay, and G. A. Swartzlander, Jr, "Spatial correlation singularity of a vortex field," Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 143905 (2004) [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Proc. R. Soc. London Ser. A

• J. F.  Nye and M. V.  Berry, "Dislocations in wave trains," Proc. R. Soc. London Ser. A  336,165-90 (1974). [CrossRef]

Science

• L. Paterson, M. P. MacDonald, J. Arlt, W. Sibbett, P. E. Bryant and K. Dholakia, "Controlled rotation of optically trapped microscopic particles," Science 292, 912-914 (2001). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Other

• <other> J.M.R. Fournier, M.M. Burns, J..A. Golovchenko, "Writing Diffractive Structures by Optical Trapping," Proc SPIE -Int Soc Opt Eng 2406, 101-111 (1995)</other>

Click here to see a list of articles that cite this paper

Related Journal Articles

• Effects of Phase Shifts on Four-Beam Interference Patterns (AO)
• Polarization singularities in optical lattices (OL)
• 3D interferometric optical tweezers using a single spatial light modulator (OE)
• Common-path achromatic interferometer-coronagraph: nulling of polychromatic light (OL)
• Optical ferris wheel for ultracold atoms (OE)

Related Conference Papers

• Localized excitations of low dimensional Bose-Einstein condensates in optical lattices
• Homodyne crosstalk performance of reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexers
• Entanglement: the binding force of an 'optics molecule'
• Quantum information processing in a Penning ion trap
• An Experiment to Measure the Goos-Hanchen Shift