Science / Technology - Colloquium
Monday, October 31, 2005
4:00 PM-5:00 PM
Olin Hall
107
High precision measurements of the Casimir force between metallic surfaces using Micro/Nanomechanical Systems (MEMS/NEMS), along with attempts to tune them using hydrogen switchable mirrors, have clearly demonstrated the skin-depth effect on these forces as well as have elucidated a counterintuitive aspect of the underlying Lifshitz- Dzyaloshinskii-Pitaevski theory. Nonlinear Casimir oscillators have been implemented which could find use as nanometric position sensors.
Calculations of the expected mechanical torque between birefringent plates induced by quantum fluctuations will be discussed along with a proposed experiment to observe it. The scheme utilizes repulsive QED forces between plates separated by a liquid of suitable dielectric constant, which creates a virtually frictionless bearing.
Cost: free
Sponsored by: WPI Physics Department, Dr. Rafael Garcia
Suggested Audiences: Adult
E-mail:
garcia@wpi.edu
Phone: 508-831-5342
Last Modified: August 26, 2005 at 4:08 PM
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