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It has been recently reported that elastic waves induced by nanosecond light pulses can be used to drive nano-motion of micro-objects on frictional solid interfaces, a challenging task for traditional techniques using tiny optical force. In this technique, the main physical quantities/parameters involved are: temporal width and energy of light pulses, thermal heating and cooling time, friction force and elastic waves. Despite a few experimental observations based on micro-fiber systems, a microscopic theory, which reveals how these quantities collaboratively enable motion of the micro-objects and derives what the underlying manipulation principles emerge, is absent. In this article, a comprehensive theoretical analysis--centralized around the above listed physical quantities, and illuminated by a single-friction-point model in conjunction with numerical simulations--is established to pedagogically clarify the physics. Our results reveal the two essential factors in this technique: (1) the use of short light pulses for rapid thermal expansion overwhelming friction resistance and (2) the timescale asymmetry in thermal heating and cooling for accumulating a net sliding distance. Moreover, we examine the effects of spatially distributed friction beyond the single-friction-point consideration, and show "tug-of-war"-like friction stretching in the driving process. Given these insights, we positively predict that this elastic-wave-based manipulation principle could be directly translated to micro/nano-scale optical waveguides on optical chips, and propose a practical design. We wish that these results offer theoretical guidelines for ongoing efforts of optical manipulation on solid interfaces with light-induced elastic waves.

The transfer of angular momentum carried by photons into a microobject has been widely exploited to achieve the actuation of the microobject. However, this scheme is fundamentally defective in nonliquid environments as a result of the scale gap between friction forces ($\mu$N) and optical forces (pN). To bypass this challenge, the researchers have recently proposed to take advantage of elastic waves based on opto-thermo-mechanical effects [1-4]. Grounded on this insight, we here demonstrate and characterize the in-plane rotation of a gold nanoplate in its surface contacting with a microfiber, driven by nanosecond laser pulses, which has not been explored before. Furthermore, we examine the underlying physical mechanisms and highlight the essential role of the spatial gradient of optical absorption. The combined experimental and theoretical results offer new insights into the study of the light-induced actuation of the microobjects in nonliquid environments, an emerging field far from being mature in both comprehensive understanding and practical applications.