Interparticle interactions:Energy potentials, energy transfer, and nanoscale mechanical motion in response to optical radiation

In the interactions between particles of material with slightly different electronic levels, unusually large shifts in the pair potential can result from photoexcitation, and on subsequent electronic excitation transfer. To elicit these phenomena, it is necessary to understand the fundamental differences between a variety of optical properties deriving from dispersion interactions, and processes such as resonance energy transfer that occur under laser irradiance. This helps dispel some confusion in the recent literature. By developing and interpreting the theory at a deeper level, one can anticipate that in suitable systems, light absorption and energy transfer will be accompanied by significant displacements in interparticle separation, leading to nanoscale mechanical motion

Dynamic size tuning of multidimensional optically bound matter

We generate and dynamically control one-, two- and three-dimensional optically bound structures of soft matter in the geometry of counter-propagating incoherent laser beams. We report results for the Bessel, Gaussian, and Laguerre-Gaussian laser modes and particularly focus on the influence of the lateral dimensions of the beam profile on the resulting self-arranged optically bound structures. Employing the transfer of the orbital angular momentum of light in the Laguerre-Gaussian beams, we show that optically bound structures can conserve their spatial arrangements even while orbiting along the beam circumference.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Longitudinal grey-box model identification of a tailless flapping wing mav based on free-flight data

Tailless flapping wing micro aerial vehicles (FMWAVs) are known for their light weight and agility. However, given the fact that these FWMAVs have been developed only recently, their flight dynamics have not yet been fully explained. In this paper we develop grey-box models for the time-averaged longitudinal dynamics of a tailless FWMAV (DelFly Nimble) from free-flight data using closed-loop system identification techniques. The consequence of the tailless configuration is inherent instability, therefore tailless FWMAVs are generally more complex than their tailed counterparts and require an active feedback control system. The control system introduces additional challenges to the system identification process as it counteracts the perturbations required to excite the system. Based on this approach, grey-box models were estimated and validated for airspeeds ranging from hover conditions, 0 m/s, to 1.0 m/s forward flight. Despite the complexity of the system, we were able to obtain low-order local models that are both efficient and accurate (R2 values up to 0.92) and can therefore be used for stability analysis, simulation and control design. With these models we can also take the first steps towards fully understanding the flight dynamics of tailless FWMAVs.Control & Simulatio