Abstract:
We show that the photonic confinement induced by a photonic
crystal can be exploited to trap nanoparticles. As demonstrated by the
recent advances in the design and fabrication of photonic crystals slab
structures, total internal reflection and multiple scattering can be combined
to confine photons very efficiently. A consequence of this confinement is the
existence of strong gradients of electromagnetic intensity in the near-field
of the photonic structure. Hence, a nanoparticle placed in the vicinity of the
crystal would experience an optical force which, with a proper design of the
near-field optical landscape, can lead to trapping.
