a School of Chemistry, Seoul National University, San 56-1, Shinlim-Dong, Kwanak-Gu, Seoul 151-747, Republic of Korea b Department of Biological Engineering, Inha University, Incheon 402-751, Republic of Korea
Abstract:
A photon as a particle has an energy and a momentum. In a matter-photon interaction, the matter and photons may exchange their momenta observing the momentum conservation law. The consequence of the momentum transfer from a photon to a matter particle is a mechanical force exerted on the particle. Several separation methods based on this force of light are reviewed. Photophoresis separations for micron-sized particles and optical force chromatography for chemical-sized molecules are discussed.