Optical currents in vector fields

We present the results of computer simulation of the spatial distribution of the Poynting vector and illustrate motion of microparticles and nanoparticles in spatially inhomogeneously polarized fields. The influence of phase relations and the degree of mutual coherence of superimposing waves on the characteristics of the microparticle's motion has been analyzed. For the first time, we have shown experimentally the possibility of diagnostics of optical currents in liquids caused by polarization characteristics of an optical field alone, using test metallic particles of nanoscale.