Casimir force measured precisely

August 12, 2003 | Source: KurzweilAI

The latest in a series of experiments has yielded precise measurement of the Casimir force, which could make nanoscale machines behave erratically.

The Casimir force has to do with the minute pressure that real and virtual photons of light exert when they bump against an object. To manipulate light beams at the nanoscale will likely require tiny mirrors that can pivot to reflect photons down different channels.

Knowledge of the Casimir force could help make those mirrors move with precision. It could also help construct fiber-optics switches that don’t heat up like conventional electronics do.

Purdue News