Abstract
We create extended longitudinally optically bound chains of microparticles with the use of counterpropagating “nondiffracting” light fields, the so-called Bessel beams. The beam homogeneity and extended propagation range allow the creation of long chains of organized microparticles. We observe short-range multistability within a single chain and long-range multistability between several distinct chains. Our observations are supported by theoretical results of the coupled dipole method.
- Received 21 November 2007
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.101.143601
©2008 American Physical Society