Analysis of optical binding in one dimension

The redistribution of light between micro- or nanoobjects placed in counter-propagating laser fields leads to their steady-state spatial configurations. Under appropriate conditions, the objects are spatially separated and form optically bound matter. This is a very exciting phenomenon that is still not fully understood. In this article we present a new theoretical model of how to study this phenomenon, which is based on a coupled dipole method particularly amenable to nanoparticle optical binding. Predictions of this model are compared with experimental data and other theoretical models with satisfactory results.