dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaTheory confronts experiment in the Casimir force measurements: quantification of errors and precision
| Authors | F. Chen, G. L. Klimchitskaya, U. Mohideen, V. M. Mostepanenko |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | quant-ph/0401153 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0401153 |
| DOI | 10.1103/PhysRevA.69.022117 |
| Journal | Phys. Rev. A, v.69, N2, p.022117-(1-11), 2004 |
Abstract
We compare theory and experiment in the Casimir force measurement between gold surfaces performed with the atomic force microscope. Both random and systematic experimental errors are found leading to a total absolute error equal to 8.5 pN at 95% confidence. In terms of the relative errors, experimental precision of 1.75% is obtained at the shortest separation of 62 nm at 95% confidence level (at 60% confidence the experimental precision of 1% is confirmed at the shortest separation). An independent determination of the accuracy of the theoretical calculations of the Casimir force and its application to the experimental configuration is carefully made. Special attention is paid to the sample-dependent variations of the optical tabulated data due to the presence of grains, contribution of surface plasmons, and errors introduced by the use of the proximity force theorem. Nonmultiplicative and diffraction-type contributions to the surface roughness corrections are examined. The electric forces due to patch potentials resulting from the polycrystalline nature of the gold films are estimated. The finite size and thermal effects are found to be negligible. The theoretical accuracy of about 1.69% and 1.1% are found at a separation 62 nm and 200 nm, respectively. Within the limits of experimental and theoretical errors very good agreement between experiment and theory is confirmed characterized by the root mean square deviation of about 3.5 pN within all measurement range. The conclusion is made that the Casimir force is stable relative to variations of the sample-dependent optical and electric properties, which opens new opportunities to use the Casimir effect for diagnostic purposes.
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"abstract": "We compare theory and experiment in the Casimir force measurement between\ngold surfaces performed with the atomic force microscope. Both random and\nsystematic experimental errors are found leading to a total absolute error\nequal to 8.5 pN at 95% confidence. In terms of the relative errors,\nexperimental precision of 1.75% is obtained at the shortest separation of 62 nm\nat 95% confidence level (at 60% confidence the experimental precision of 1% is\nconfirmed at the shortest separation). An independent determination of the\naccuracy of the theoretical calculations of the Casimir force and its\napplication to the experimental configuration is carefully made. Special\nattention is paid to the sample-dependent variations of the optical tabulated\ndata due to the presence of grains, contribution of surface plasmons, and\nerrors introduced by the use of the proximity force theorem. Nonmultiplicative\nand diffraction-type contributions to the surface roughness corrections are\nexamined. The electric forces due to patch potentials resulting from the\npolycrystalline nature of the gold films are estimated. The finite size and\nthermal effects are found to be negligible. The theoretical accuracy of about\n1.69% and 1.1% are found at a separation 62 nm and 200 nm, respectively. Within\nthe limits of experimental and theoretical errors very good agreement between\nexperiment and theory is confirmed characterized by the root mean square\ndeviation of about 3.5 pN within all measurement range. The conclusion is made\nthat the Casimir force is stable relative to variations of the sample-dependent\noptical and electric properties, which opens new opportunities to use the\nCasimir effect for diagnostic purposes.",
"arxiv_id": "quant-ph/0401153",
"authors": [
"F. Chen",
"G. L. Klimchitskaya",
"U. Mohideen",
"V. M. Mostepanenko"
],
"categories": [
"quant-ph"
],
"doi": "10.1103/PhysRevA.69.022117",
"journal_ref": "Phys. Rev. A, v.69, N2, p.022117-(1-11), 2004",
"title": "Theory confronts experiment in the Casimir force measurements: quantification of errors and precision",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0401153"
},
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