Iványi, Tamás Gergely and Slabý, Cyril and Kubacková, Jana and Strejčková, Alena and Jurašeková, Zuzana and Tomori, Zoltán and Hovan, Andrej and Kelemen, Lóránd and Vizsnyiczai, Gaszton and Bánó, Gregor (2025) Light-momentum-driven soft optical waveguide micro-actuators. NATURE COMMUNICATIONS, 16 (1). No. 9852. ISSN 2041-1723
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Abstract
Radiation pressure of light allows us to exert forces and trap microscopic objects by highly focused laser beams in the form of optical tweezers. In principle, light also exerts mechanical forces in curved optical waveguides as photons alter their direction and momentum. While these optical forces are typically negligible due to the rigidity of conventional materials, we demonstrate that soft photopolymer optical waveguides can undergo significant mechanical deformation driven by light momentum. Using two-photon polymerization direct laser writing, we fabricate micron-scale curved nanowire waveguides that exhibit large-scale movements when guiding light. An analytical optomechanical model accurately predicts the observed shape deformations and their power-dependent behavior. Our findings pave the way for the development of light-driven micro-actuators, offering fresh opportunities for photonic and microelectromechanical systems.
| Item Type: | Article |
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| Additional Information: | Funding Agency and Grant Number: Agentra na Podporu Vskumu a Vvoja (Slovak Research and Development Agency) [APVV-21-0333, SK-HU-24-0009] Funding text: This work was supported by the Slovak Research and Development Agency, grants APVV-21-0333 (G.B., Z.T.), SK-HU-24-0009 (G.B.), and by the grant agency of the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sports of the Slovak Republic, grant VEGA 2/0055/25 (Z.T.). This publication is the result of the implementation of the projects OPENMED (Open Scientific Community for Modern Interdisciplinary Research in Medicine) ITMS2014 + : 313011V455 and BioPickmol, ITMS2014+: 313011AUW6 from the Operational Program Integrated Infrastructure funded by the ERDF. G.V. was supported by the Janos Bolyai Research Scholarship of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (BO/00290/21/11). G.T.I. was supported by the National Research, Development and Innovation Office under the University Research Scholarship Program (EKOP-24-3-SZTE-332). This work was supported by the National Research, Development and Innovation Office, Hungary, under grant number FK 138520 (G.V.). |
| Subjects: | Q Science / természettudomány > QC Physics / fizika |
| SWORD Depositor: | MTMT SWORD |
| Depositing User: | MTMT SWORD |
| Date Deposited: | 11 Mar 2026 10:22 |
| Last Modified: | 11 Mar 2026 10:22 |
| URI: | https://real.mtak.hu/id/eprint/235542 |
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