Features of particle trapping in vacuum by a light beam with axial symmetry increasing with time

Abstract

The features of the trapping of particles under high vacuum conditions in a two-dimensional potential well, which is created by a laser beam with axial (cylindrical) symmetry that increases with time, are theoretically studied. It is shown that, under certain conditions, the kinetic energy of trapped particles can significantly exceed the depth of this light-induced well. The study of such trapping of particles was first carried out for a Gaussian light beam by numerically solving the corresponding differential equations of particle motion. At the same time, for the beam with a cylindrical intensity profile, detailed analysis of the features of the capture of relatively fast particles was carried out on the basis of the visual model and rather simple mathematical relations. The theoretical results obtained can be used in optics and spectroscopy to establish the optimal conditions for the capture and localization of various particles in the considered light traps in vacuum, including, in certain cases, atoms and molecules.