Optical forces on small magnetodielectric particle

Abstract

We present a study of the optical force on a small particle with both electric and magnetic response, immersed in an arbitrary non-dissipative medium, due to a generic incident electromagnetic field. This permits us to establish conclusions for any sign of this medium refractive index. Expressions for the gradient force, radiation pressure and curl components are obtained for the force due to both the electric and magnetic dipoles excited in the particle. In particular, for the magnetic force we tentatively introduce the concept of curl of the spin angular momentum density of the magnetic field, also expressed in terms of 3D generalizations of the Stokes parameters. From the formal analogy between the conservation of momentum and the optical theorem, we discuss the origin and significance of the electric-magnetic dipolar interaction force; this is done in connection with that of the angular distribution of scattered light and of the extinction cross section.