PRECISE FINITE DIFFERENCE ANALYSIS OF LORENTZ FORCE ACTING ON METAL NANOPARTICLE IRRADIATED WITH LIGHT

A finite difference method in the frequency domain is evaluated to clarify characteristics of the Lorentz force exerted on a metal nanoscale particle by light irradiation. Numerical results are compared with exact values obtained from Mie theory to show that applying a smoothing algorithm to the surface of a nanoparticle increases the accuracy of the simulation. Analysis of the Lorentz force exerted between two spheres aligned closely indicates that strong forces cause the spheres to attract each other at the plasmon resonant frequency. It was also noticed that application of the smoothing algorithm was indispensable in order to achieve the above result.