Electric Field Modulated Light Scattering Near a Morphological Resonance
of a Trapped Aerosol Particle
S. Arnold, D.E. Spock and L.M. Folan
Opt. Lett. 15, 1111-1113(1990)

We describe electric-filed induced fluctuations in the elastic scattering near optical resonances of a spherical aerosol particle trapped at the null point of an electrodynamic levitator. The particle is apparently driven into a quadrapolar distortion by the electromechanical stress at its surface. Our results coupled with recent theory indicate that the effect is principally due to a modulation in the frequencies of individual optical resonances, that a coherent distortion smaller than one part in 10^5 (~0.1nm) is detected, and the effect may be used for a continuous probe of surfaces tension and bulk viscosity.