Figure 4
Optical switching and manipulation of microsphere-soliton hybrids.
POM images with a blue double-sided arrow approximately indicating where and when the laser was turned on or off and laser polarization orientation. Lower right numbers indicate the elapsed time corresponding to the supporting information movies. (a–d), a laser induced hopfion surrounding a microsphere. (a), the bare microsphere surrounded by minor elastic distortions. (b), moments after the laser was introduced to the sample. (c), the hopfion structure fully formed and (d), after the laser is removed and the structure is fully relaxed. (e–h), optical switching of a hopfion-dressed microsphere. (e), the initial hopfion dressed microsphere switched to (f), a bare microsphere with a laser induced distortion that has opposing twist. (g), the hopfion induced again with the same laser position but with opposite twist. (h), the final configuration after laser is removed. (i–l), a toron-dressed microsphere's bulk point defect manipulated with a laser. (I), the initial toron dressed microsphere. (j), after pulling the hyperbolic hedgehog of the toron structure away from the microsphere. After removing the laser (k), the bulk defect begins to return to the microsphere. (l), the final relaxed configuration. The diameter of particles is 7 μm.
