Theoretical analysis of the force on the end face of a nanofilament exerted by an outgoing light pulse

2009/08/25 by Masud Mansuripur, Armis R. Zakharian · 30 citations
Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced MEMS and NEMS Technologies #Lorentz force #Magnetic field #Materials science #Mechanical and Optical Resonators #Mechanics #Momentum (technical analysis) #Optics #Physics #Protein filament #Pulse (music) #Quantum and Classical Electrodynamics #Quantum mechanics #physics.class-ph #physics.optics

paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physreva.80.023823

published in Physical Review A 80(2) (American Physical Society) · 11 pages, 7 figures, 13 equations, 7 references

openalex publication_date 2009/08/25 · arxiv created 2012/08/03 · arxiv updated 2012/08/17 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05

Abstract

The slight deformations observed upon transmission of a light pulse through a short length of a silica glass nanofilament offer the possibility of determining the momentum of light inside the filament. Using precise numerical calculations that take into account not only the electromagnetic momentum inside and outside the filament, but also the Lorentz force exerted by a light pulse in its entire path through the nanowaveguide, we conclude that the net effect of a short pulse exiting the nanofilament should be a pull force on the end face of the filament.

Citations

• Momentum of an electromagnetic wave in dielectric media
• Observation of a Push Force on the End Face of a Nanometer Silica Filament Exerted by Outgoing Light

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