dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaPrecise comparison of theory and new experiment for the Casimir force leads to stronger constraints on thermal quantum effects and long-range interactions
| Authors | R. S. Decca, D. Lopez, E. Fischbach, G. L. Klimchitskaya, D. E. Krause, V. M. Mostepanenko |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | quant-ph/0503105 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0503105 |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.aop.2005.03.007 |
| Journal | Annals Phys. 318 (2005) 37-80 |
Abstract
We report an improved dynamic determination of the Casimir pressure between two plane plates obtained using a micromachined torsional oscillator. The main improvements in the current experiment are a significant suppression of the surface roughness of the Au layers deposited on the interacting surfaces, and a decrease in the experimental error in the measurement of the absolute separation. A metrological analysis of all data permitted us to determine both the random and systematic errors, and to find the total experimental error as a function of separation at the 95% confidence level. In contrast to all previous experiments on the Casimir effect, our smallest experimental error ($\sim 0.5$%) is achieved over a wide separation range. The theoretical Casimir pressures in the experimental configuration were calculated by the use of four theoretical approaches suggested in the literature. All corrections to the Casimir force were calculated or estimated. All theoretical errors were analyzed and combined to obtain the total theoretical error at the 95% confidence level. Finally, the confidence interval for the differences between theoretical and experimental pressures was obtained as a function of separation. Our measurements are found to be consistent with two theoretical approaches utilizing the plasma model and the surface impedance over the entire measurement region. Two other approaches to the thermal Casimir force, utilizing the Drude model or a special prescription for the determination of the zero-frequency contribution to the Lifshitz formula, are excluded on the basis of our measurements at the 99% and 95% confidence levels, respectively. Finally, constraints on Yukawa-type hypothetical interactions are strengthened by up to a factor of 20 in a wide interaction range.
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"abstract": "We report an improved dynamic determination of the Casimir pressure between\ntwo plane plates obtained using a micromachined torsional oscillator. The main\nimprovements in the current experiment are a significant suppression of the\nsurface roughness of the Au layers deposited on the interacting surfaces, and a\ndecrease in the experimental error in the measurement of the absolute\nseparation. A metrological analysis of all data permitted us to determine both\nthe random and systematic errors, and to find the total experimental error as a\nfunction of separation at the 95% confidence level. In contrast to all previous\nexperiments on the Casimir effect, our smallest experimental error ($\\sim\n0.5$%) is achieved over a wide separation range. The theoretical Casimir\npressures in the experimental configuration were calculated by the use of four\ntheoretical approaches suggested in the literature. All corrections to the\nCasimir force were calculated or estimated. All theoretical errors were\nanalyzed and combined to obtain the total theoretical error at the 95%\nconfidence level. Finally, the confidence interval for the differences between\ntheoretical and experimental pressures was obtained as a function of\nseparation. Our measurements are found to be consistent with two theoretical\napproaches utilizing the plasma model and the surface impedance over the entire\nmeasurement region. Two other approaches to the thermal Casimir force,\nutilizing the Drude model or a special prescription for the determination of\nthe zero-frequency contribution to the Lifshitz formula, are excluded on the\nbasis of our measurements at the 99% and 95% confidence levels, respectively.\nFinally, constraints on Yukawa-type hypothetical interactions are strengthened\nby up to a factor of 20 in a wide interaction range.",
"arxiv_id": "quant-ph/0503105",
"authors": [
"R. S. Decca",
"D. Lopez",
"E. Fischbach",
"G. L. Klimchitskaya",
"D. E. Krause",
"V. M. Mostepanenko"
],
"categories": [
"quant-ph",
"cond-mat.other",
"hep-ph"
],
"doi": "10.1016/j.aop.2005.03.007",
"journal_ref": "Annals Phys. 318 (2005) 37-80",
"title": "Precise comparison of theory and new experiment for the Casimir force leads to stronger constraints on thermal quantum effects and long-range interactions",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0503105"
},
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