Enhanced optical forces in 2D hybrid and plasmonic waveguides.

We investigate the optical gradient force in 2D hybrid and plasmonic waveguides. By comparing with conventional dielectric waveguides, we show that the optical force can be enhanced by at least 1 order of magnitude in the hybrid and plasmonic waveguides due to strongly enhanced optical fields at the waveguide surfaces. We compare coupled plasmonic waveguides with different geometries, including rectangular, circular, and triangular cross sections and find that the rectangular waveguides provide the strongest force. We also show that the plasmonic enhancement is nonresonant and thus can be used for a broad range of wavelengths.