Optical trapping with optical magnetic field and photonic Hall effect forces

Yanzeng Li (), Emmanuel Valenton, Spoorthi Nagasamudram, John Parker, Marcos Perez, Uttam Manna, Mahua Biswas, Stuart A. Rice and Norbert F. Scherer ()
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Yanzeng Li: Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Department of Physics, Optical Engineering, and Nanoengineering
Emmanuel Valenton: The University of Chicago, James Franck Institute
Spoorthi Nagasamudram: The University of Chicago, James Franck Institute
John Parker: The University of Chicago, Department of Physics
Marcos Perez: Illinois State University, Department of Physics
Uttam Manna: Illinois State University, Department of Physics
Mahua Biswas: Illinois State University, Department of Physics
Stuart A. Rice: The University of Chicago, James Franck Institute
Norbert F. Scherer: The University of Chicago, James Franck Institute

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-12

Abstract: Abstract Optical trapping offers robust nanoscale control of matter but, to date, has been dominated by the interaction between a material’s electric polarizability, αe, and the electric part of light, therefore defined by electric-field intensity-gradient forces. Magnetic light-matter interactions, despite their potential to reshape optical trapping research, have remained experimentally unrealized. This paper addresses this long-standing deficiency by realizing optical magnetic field-associated trapping of high-index (i.e., Si) nanoparticles. Experiments, validated by our theoretical framework and Maxwell stress tensor calculations, reveal the essential role of a material’s magnetic polarizability, αm, and electric-magnetic scattering forces arising from the photonic Hall effect. This magnetic contribution allows exploration of stable trapping, distinct from purely electric-field control. Our findings open avenues for nanoparticle manipulation beyond conventional paradigms, enable previously unexamined optical matter formation driven by magnetic interactions, and suggest unexplored N-body effects and symmetry-breaking dynamics in optical matter systems.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-65334-6

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