Inclusion of the backaction term in the total optical force exerted upon Rayleigh particles in nonresonant structures

Abstract: In this paper, we investigate the impact of the electromagnetic scattering caused by other objects in nonfree space on the time averaged force exerted upon a Rayleigh particle, which is conventionally referred to as the backaction effect. We show that backaction modifies the gradient force, radiation pressure, and spin curl force exerted upon Rayleigh particles, and gives rise to an additional force term which stems from the gradient of the backaction field in nonfree space. As a numerical example, we look into the trapping of a dielectric nanoparticle at the center of curvature of a spherical mirror, and study how it is affected by the backaction effect. We show that backaction can enhance the force exerted upon the particle, reshape the trapping potential, and shift the equilibrium position of the particle.