Achieving a strongly temperature-dependent Casimir effect

Publication Year
2010

Type

Journal Article
Abstract
We propose a method of achieving large temperature sensitivity in the Casimir force that involves measuring the stable separation between dielectric objects immersed in a fluid. We study the Casimir force between slabs and spheres using realistic material models, and find large > 2nm/K variations in their stable separations (hundreds of nanometers) near room temperature. In addition, we analyze the effects of Brownian motion on suspended ob jects, and show that the average separation is also sensitive to changes in temperature . Finally, this approach also leads to rich qualitative phenomena, such as irreversible transitions, from suspension to stiction, as the temperature is varied.
Journal
PRL
Volume
105
Pages
060401