Contact mode Casimir and capillary force measurements
PhD ceremony: Mr. P.J. van Zwol, 14.45 uur, Academiegebouw, Broerstraat 5, Groningen
Title: Contact mode Casimir and capillary force measurements
Promotor(s): prof. T.T.M. Palstra
Faculty: Mathematics and Natural Sciences
The Casimir effect is said to be a “force from nothing”. Like the Lamb-Shift it is a consequence of the Heisenberg uncertainty principle for energy and time. Therefore the Casimir effect is fundamentally important. But it is also a background force in the search for new forces at microscopically small distances. The force becomes strong for nanoscale separations and affects the motion of parts in mechanical nanodevices, which is the reason that this thesis is written. Here the typical strength of the Casimir force for such systems was measured with an Atomic Force Microscope. Theory and experiments to probe the effect off roughness and optical reflectance on the force are discussed. The results of this analysis are not only important for nanodevices but also for theory that accurately describes the force for real materials. On the other hand the Casimir force may also be put to good use. For example in this thesis it is shown that the force can be modulated using switchable materials that are typically used in DVDs. In some special cases, when a fluid replaces the vacuum, the Casimir force can be made repulsive. A way of maximizing this repulsion is presented here. Casimir repulsion can be important for lowering friction between surfaces as it prevents them from touching.
Last modified: | 13 March 2020 01.10 a.m. |
More news
-
25 April 2025
Leading microbiologist Arnold Driessen honoured
On 25 April 2025, Arnold Driessen (Horst, the Netherlands, 1958) received a Royal Decoration. Driessen is Professor of Molecular Microbiology and chair of the Molecular Microbiology research department of the Faculty of Science and Engineering at the...
-
24 April 2025
Highlighted papers April 2025
The antimalarial drug mefloquine could help treat genetic diseases such as cystic fibrosis, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, as well as some cancers.
-
22 April 2025
Microplastics and their effects on the human body
Professor of Respiratory Immunology Barbro Melgert has discovered how microplastics affect the lungs and can explain how to reduce our exposure.