Mie scattering eigenmodes for optical trapping

Abstract

The Mie scattering theory enables the exact determination of the scattered field as a function of the incident field. Here, we use this approach to calculate the Hermitian relationship between the incident field and the optical forces acting on the scattering objects. This Hermitian relationship defines also a set of orthogonal optical eigenmodes which deliver a natural basis to describe momentum transfer in light-matter interactions.