Omnidirectional Transport in Fully Reconfigurable Two Dimensional Optical Ratchets

0477924 - ÚPT 2018 RIV US eng J - Journal Article
Arzola, A. V. - Villasante-Barahona, M. - Volke-Sepulveda, K. - Jákl, Petr - Zemánek, Pavel
Omnidirectional Transport in Fully Reconfigurable Two Dimensional Optical Ratchets.
Physical Review Letters. Roč. 118, č. 13 (2017), s. 1-5, č. článku 138002. ISSN 0031-9007. E-ISSN 1079-7114
R&D Projects: GA ČR GB14-36681G; GA MŠMT(CZ) LO1212; GA MŠMT(CZ) LD14069
Institutional support: RVO:68081731
Keywords : separation * motion
OECD category: Optics (including laser optics and quantum optics)
Impact factor: 8.839, year: 2017

A fully reconfigurable two-dimensional (2D) rocking ratchet system created with holographic optical micromanipulation is presented. We can generate optical potentials with the geometry of any Bravais lattice in 2D and introduce a spatial asymmetry with arbitrary orientation. Nontrivial directed transport of Brownian particles along different directions is demonstrated numerically and experimentally, including on axis, perpendicular, and oblique with respect to an unbiased ac driving. The most important aspect to define the current direction is shown to be the asymmetry and not the driving orientation, and yet we show a system in which the asymmetry orientation of each potential well does not coincide with the transport direction, suggesting an additional symmetry breaking as a result of a coupling with the lattice configuration. Our experimental device, due to its versatility, opens up a new range of possibilities in the study of nonequilibrium dynamics at the microscopic level.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0274135