Nonlinear optical binding

Optical binding, the light-induced self-organization of particles, is essential in levitated optomechanics, nanomaterials, and quantum optics. Conventional models are limited to linear optical interactions, though, and lack tunable mechanisms for trap stabilization or reconfiguration that do not involve moving the optical fields themselves. This work develops a theory of nonlinear optical binding that produces surprising equilibrium configurations, tunable trap periodicities, and enhanced stability at subwavelength separations, with no beam shaping or external fields. These results may provide a concrete pathway for power-controlled particle assembly and programmable optical matter.