Dynamic optical torque control via a single linearly polarized plane wave in an inverse-designed coherent optical environment

We propose a scheme for dynamically controlling optical torque on Mie-sized particles using a single linearly polarized plane wave, assisted by a fixed coherent optical environment constructed from multiple interfering plane waves and designed using a back-propagation–based inverse design algorithm. Our design accounts for all physical mechanisms that can induce optical torque, rather than relying solely on spin angular momentum. Such approach ensures an accurate one-to-one mapping between the polarization of the control wave and the resulting torque orientation. The proposed method introduces a new degree of freedom for dynamic and programmable torque control using simple, physically realizable plane waves and offers a practical strategy for polarization-encoded optical torque control.