Analytical prediction of stable optical trapping in optical vortices created by three TE or TM plane waves

A closed-form analytical expression of the force on an infinite lossless dielectric cylinder due to multiple plane wave incidences is proposed. The formula for a TE polarization is derived and completes our previous work which was limited to TM polarizations. A unified form of the analytical expression of the force is proposed and used to study the curvature of the one dimensional potential of an optical lattice created by the interference of three plane waves. It is shown that the points of zero curvature yield optical vortices which can be used to stably trap particles of particular sizes and index contrasts with the background. Under these circumstances, the trajectories of the particles can be assimilated to spirals whose centers correspond to the points of undetermined phase in the optical landscape. (C) 2007 Optical Society of America