Düsseldorf 2007 – scientific programme

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Q: Fachverband Quantenoptik und Photonik

Q 21: Quanteneffekte (Offene und Wenigteilchensysteme)

Q 21.2: Talk

Tuesday, March 20, 2007, 10:45–11:00, 5E

Casimir force between planar mirrors in the real world — •Francesco Intravaia and Carsten Henkel — Universitaet Potsdam, Institut fuer Physik, Am Neuen Palais 10, 14469 Potsdam, Germany

In the field of nanotechnology, there is a considerable interest in manipulating the Casimir force (both in magnitude and sign) playing with geometry and material structure. The benefit one can possibly achieve under realistic experimental conditions depends on properties like microscopic surface roughness, finite conductivity, material temperature, as shown by the comparison of accurate measurements with theory [1]. Regarding the sign of the force, we have recently identified a parameter range for Casimir repulsion within a certain class of artificial (or meta-) materials [2]. Our current activities aim at improving the understanding of dispersion forces between non-local or dissipative media that pose intriguing theoretical challenges on their own. Both aspects play a role for the finite-temperature correction to the Casimir force, for example, on which a consensus is currently lacking. We investigate a particular non-local model that allows us to perform calculations from first principles and to assess the limits and scope of the widely used Lifshitz formula.

[1]S. K. Lamoreaux. The casimir force: background, experiments, and applications. Reports on Progress in Physics 68, 201-236, 2005.

[2]C. Henkel and K. Joulain. Casimir force between designed materials: What is possible and what not. Europhys. Lett.72, 929-935, 2005.