Laser spinning of nanotubes: A path to fast-rotating microdevices

We show that circularly polarized light can spin nanotubes with GHz frequencies. In this method, angular momenta of infrared photons are resonantly transferred to nanotube phonons and passed to the tube body by ``Umklapp'' scattering. We investigate experimental realization of this ultrafast rotation in carbon nanotubes, levitating in an optical trap and undergoing mechanical vibrations, and discuss possible applications to rotating microdevices.