Construction of three-dimensional helical structures of nanoparticle building blocks manipulated by optical vortices

Recently, several research topics have focused on the application of optical vortices to create chiral nanostructures using various materials. However, the formation process of such chiral nanostructures has not yet been fully understood. Herein, we apply a Laguerre–Gaussian (LG) beam to create three-dimensional (3D) structures of nanoparticles dispersed in a KCl solution on a glass surface. It is found that the LG beam causes the nanoparticles to form helically arranged 3D structures, where electrolyte ions contribute to maintaining the stable 3D structures of the nanoparticles.