Rotational Jamming of Plasmonic Optical Matter Driven by Chiral Light

Abstract

Plasmonic optical matter (OM), composed of optically bound metallic particles, can be rotated by transferring the spin angular momentum (SAM) of chiral light to the assembly. Rotating OM is a promising platform for optical micromachines with potential applications in plasmofluidics and soft robotics. Understanding the dynamic states of such Brownian, micromechanical systems is a relevant issue. One key problem is understanding kinetic jamming and clogging. Studies of driven multiparticle systems have revealed that under suboptimal driving, the systems can stop moving, showing jamming transitions. It is important to identify dynamic regimes where crowding competes with driving and is susceptible to jamming in the context of optical micromachines. Through experiments supported by numerical simulations, we reveal assemblies with well-defined hexagonal or triangular symmetry that efficiently harness the SAM of incident chiral light, resulting in a stable rotation. However, as the plasmonic-particle assembly grows and its dimensions approach the beam waist, new particles can disrupt this order. This causes a transition to a “fluid-like” state with less defined symmetry, correlated with a significant reduction in transferred torque, causing the rotation to stagnate or cease. We suggest that this behavior is analogous to a rotational jamming transition, where the rotational motion is arrested. Our findings establish a clear relationship between the structural symmetry of the OM assembly and its ability to harness SAM, providing new insights into controlling chiral light-matter interactions and offering a novel platform for studying jamming transitions.