Direction-switchable transverse optical torque on a dipolar nanoparticle

We propose that a transition from positive optical torque (OT) to negative OT occurs in a dipolar nanoparticle subjected to a simple optical field composed of two circularly polarized plane waves. This phenomenon can be observed in a phase-change nanoparticle comprising insulating and metallic phases. The analytical expression based on the multipole expansion theory reveals that the positive OT in the metallic phase originates from the electric response during light–matter interaction. However, in the insulating phase, the magnetic response is excited, leading to a significant negative OT due to the contribution of the magnetic field–magnetic dipole interaction. It is noted that the phenomenon of reversible transverse OT is robust to the angle between two constituent plane waves, ensuring its practical application.