Contactless transfer of angular momentum by rotating laser beam

Contactless transfer of angular momentum from rotating laser beam to a solid target is experimentally demonstrated. The effect is observed under irradiation of a glassy carbon target immersed in water by a pulsed laser beam that is scanned across the target surface along circular trajectory. The direction of target rotation coincides with that of the laser beam at small thickness of the liquid layer above the target while is opposite in case of higher thickness of the layer. The effect is interpreted as the interplay between thermocapillary and convective flows induced in the liquid by laser heating.