Transverse optical torque induced by localized surface plasmons

We report that localized surface plasmon resonance allows a single-element nanostructure to induce an extrinsic angular momentum of light in its interaction with a propagating plane wave. The recoil of the angular momentum results in an optical torque on the structure along an axis perpendicular to the optical axis, and the characteristics of this transverse torque depend on the incident polarization state, including the spin direction. Our results suggest that the designed dark plasmon mode can provide a new degree of freedom for optical manipulation of nanoparticles smaller than the diffraction limit.