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V. M. Mostepanenko

Publications and source records attributed to V. M. Mostepanenko.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

Thermal Casimir effect in the interaction of graphene with dielectrics and metals

We investigate the thermal Casimir interaction of a suspended graphene described by the Dirac model with a plate made of dielectric or metallic materials. The reflection coefficients on graphene expressed in terms of a temperature-dependent polarization tensor are used. We demonstrate that for a graphene with nonzero mass gap parameter the Casimir free energy remains nearly constant (and the thermal correction negligibly small) over some temperature interval. For the interaction of graphene with metallic plate, the free energy is nearly the same, irrespective of whether the metal is nonmagnetic or magnetic and whether it is described using the Drude- or plasma-model approaches. The free energy computed using the Dirac model was compared with that computed using the hydrodynamic model of graphene and big differences accessible for experimental observation have been found. For dielectric and nonmagnetic metallic plates described by the Drude model these differences vanish with increasing temperature (separation). However, for nonmagnetic metals described by the plasma model and for magnetic metals, a severe dependence on the chosen theoretical description of graphene remains even at high temperature. In all cases the analytic asymptotic expressions for the free energy at high temperature are obtained and found in a very good agreement with the results of numerical computations.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

Constraints on non-Newtonian gravity and light elementary particles from measurements of the Casimir force by means of dynamic AFM

We derive constraints on corrections to Newtonian gravity of the Yukawa type and light elementary particles from two recently performed measurements of the gradient of the Casimir force. In the first measurement the configuration of two Au surfaces has been used, whereas in the second a nonmagnetic metal Au interacted with a magnetic metal Ni. In these configurations one arrives at different, respectively, similar theoretical predictions for the Casimir force when the competing theoretical approaches are employed. Nevertheless, we demonstrate that the constraints following from both experiments are in mutual agreement and in line with constraints obtained from earlier measurements. This confirms the reliability of constraints on non-Newtonian gravity obtained from measurements of the Casimir force.

gr-qc↗

How to modify the van der Waals and Casimir forces without change of dielectric permittivity

We propose a new experiment on measuring the Casimir force and its gradient between an Au-coated sphere and two different plates made of doped semiconductors. The concentrations of charge carriers in the plates are chosen slightly below and above the critical density at which the Mott-Anderson insulator-metal transition occurs. We calculate changes in the Casimir force and the Casimir pressure due to the insulator-metal transition using the standard Lifshitz theory and the phenomenological approach neglecting the contribution of free charge carriers in the dielectric permittivity of insulator materials (this approach was recently supported by the measurement data of several experiments). It is demonstrated that for the special selection of semiconductor materials (S- or Se-doped Si, B-doped diamond) calculation results using both theoretical approaches differ significantly and the predicted effects are easily detectable using the existing laboratory setups. In the case that the prediction of the phenomenological approach is confirmed, this would open opportunities to modify the van der Waals and Casimir forces with almost no change of room-temperature dielectric permittivity.

cond-mat.other↗

Thermal Casimir-Polder interaction of different atoms with graphene

The thermal correction to the energy of Casimir-Polder interaction of atoms with a suspended graphene membrane described by the Dirac model is investigated. We show that a major impact on the thermal correction is made by the size of the gap in the energy spectrum of graphene quasiparticles. Specifically, if the temperature is much smaller than the gap parameter (alternatively, larger or of the order of the gap parameter), the thermal correction is shown to be relatively small (alternatively, large). We have calculated the free energy of the thermal Casimir-Polder interaction of atoms of He, Na, Rb, and Cs with graphene described by both the hydrodynamic and Dirac models. It is shown that in exact computations using the Dirac model, one should use the polarization operator at nonzero temperature. The computational results for the Casimir-Polder free energy obtained in the framework of hydrodynamic model of graphene are several times larger than in the Dirac model within the separation region below 2$μ$m. We conclude that the theoretical predictions following from the two models can be reliably discriminated in experiments on quantum reflection of different atoms on graphene.

quant-ph↗

Gradient of the Casimir force between Au surfaces of a sphere and a plate measured using atomic force microscope in a frequency shift technique

We present measurement results for the gradient of the Casimir force between an Au-coated sphere and an Au-coated plate obtained by means of an atomic force microscope operated in a frequency shift technique. This experiment was performed at a pressure of 3x10^{-8} Torr with hollow glass sphere of 41.3 mcm radius. Special attention is paid to electrostatic calibrations including the problem of electrostatic patches. All calibration parameters are shown to be separation-independent after the corrections for mechanical drift are included. The gradient of the Casimir force was measured in two ways with applied compensating voltage to the plate and with different applied voltages and subsequent subtraction of electric forces. The obtained mean gradients are shown to be in mutual agreement and in agreement with previous experiments performed using a micromachined oscillator. The obtained data are compared with theoretical predictions of the Lifshitz theory including corrections beyond the proximity force approximation. An independent comparison with no fitting parameters demonstrated that the Drude model approach is excluded by the data at a 67% confidence level over the separation region from 235 to 420 nm. The theoretical approach using the generalized plasma-like model is shown to be consistent with the data over the entire measurement range. Corrections due to the nonlinearity of oscillator are calculated and the application region of the linear regime is determined. A conclusion is made that the results of several performed experiments call for a thorough analysis of the basics of the theory of dispersion forces.

cond-mat.other↗

Comparison between experiment and theory for the thermal Casimir force

We analyze recent experiments on measuring the thermal Casimir force with account of possible background effects. Special attention is paid to the validity of the proximity force approximation (PFA) used in the comparison between the experimental data and computational results in experiments employing a sphere-plate geometry. The PFA results are compared with the exact results where they are available. The possibility to use fitting procedures in theory-experiment comparison is discussed. On this basis we reconsider experiments exploiting spherical lenses of centimeter-size radii.

quant-ph↗

Observation of reduction in Casimir force without change of dielectric permittivity

Additional information is provided on the effect of the significant (up to 35%) reduction in the magnitude of the Casimir force between an Au-coated sphere and an indium tin oxide film which was observed after UV treatment of the latter. A striking feature of this effect is that the reduction is not accompanied with a corresponding variation of the dielectric permittivity, as confirmed by direct ellipsometry measurements. The measurement data are compared with computations using the Lifshitz theory. It is shown that the data for the untreated sample are in a very good agreement with theory taking into account the free charge carriers in the indium tin oxide. The data for the UV-treated sample exclude the theoretical results obtained with account of free charge carriers. These data are found to be in a very good agreement with theory disregarding the free charge carriers in an indium tin oxide film. A possible theoretical explanation of our observations as a result of phase transition of indium tin oxide from metallic to dielectric state is discussed in comparison with other related experiments.

quant-ph↗

New constraints on Yukawa-type interactions from the Casimir effect

Measurements of the Casimir force are used to obtain stronger constraints on the parameters of hypothetical interactions predicted in different unification schemes beyond the Standard Model. We review new strong constraints on the Yukawa-type interactions derived during the last two years from recent experiments on measuring the lateral Casimir force, Casimir force in configurations with corrugated boundaries and the Casimir-Polder force. Specifically, from measurements of the lateral Casimir force compared with the exact theory the strengthening of constraints up to a factor of 24 millions was achieved. We also discuss further possibilities to strengthen constraints on the Yukawa interactions from the Casimir effect.

hep-ph↗

Modifying the Casimir force between indium tin oxide film and Au sphere

We present complete results of the experiment on measuring the Casimir force between an Au-coated sphere and an untreated or, alternatively, UV-treated indium tin oxide film deposited on a quartz substrate. Measurements were performed using an atomic force microscope in a high vacuum chamber. The measurement system was calibrated electrostatically. Special analysis of the systematic deviations is performed, and respective corrections in the calibration parameters are introduced. The corrected parameters are free from anomalies discussed in the literature. The experimental data for the Casimir force from two measurement sets for both untreated and UV-treated samples are presented. The experimental errors are determined at a 95% confidence level. It is demonstrated that the UV treatment of an I TO plate results in a significant decrease in the magnitude of the Casimir force (from 21% to 35% depending on separation). However, ellipsometry measurements of the imaginary parts of dielectric permittivities of the untreated and UV-treated samples did not reveal any significant differences. The experimental data are compared with computations in the framework of the Lifshitz theory. It is found that the data for the untreated sample are in a very good agreement with theoretical results taking into account the free charge carriers in an ITO film. For the UV-treated sample the data exclude the theoretical results obtained with account of free charge carriers. These data are in a very good agreement with computations disregarding the contribution of free carriers. According to the explanation provided, this is caused by the phase transition of the ITO film from metallic to dielectric state caused by the UV treatment. Possible applications of the discovered phenomenon in nanotechnology are discussed.

quant-ph↗

Thermal Casimir effect for neutrino and electromagnetic fields in closed Friedmann cosmological model

We calculate the total internal energy, total energy density and pressure, and the free energy for the neutrino and electromagnetic fields in Einstein and closed Friedmann cosmological models. The Casimir contributions to all these quantities are separated. The asymptotic expressions for both the total internal energy and free energy, and for the Casimir contributions to them are found in the limiting cases of low and high temperatures. It is shown that the neutrino field does not possess a classical limit at high temperature. As for the electromagnetic field, we demonstrate that the total internal energy has the classical contribution and the Casimir internal energy goes to the classical limit at high temperature. The respective Casimir free energy contains both linear and logarithmic terms with respect to the temperature. The total and Casimir entropies for the neutrino and electromagnetic fields at low temperature are also calculated and shown to be in agreement with the Nernst heat theorem.

gr-qc↗

Capacitance measurements and electrostatic calibrations in experiments measuring the Casimir force

We compare the results of capacitance measurements in the lens-plane and sphere-plane configurations with theoretical predictions from various models of a spherical surface. It is shown that capacitance measurements are incapable of discriminating between models of perfect and modified spherical surfaces in an experiment demonstrating the anomalous scaling law for the electric force. Claims to the contrary in the recent literature are explained by the use of irregular comparison. The data from capacitance measurements in an experiment measuring the Casimir force using a micromechanical torsional oscillator are shown to be in excellent agreement with theoretical predictions using the model of a perfect spherical surface.

quant-ph↗

The Casimir force between a microfabricated elliptic cylinder and a plate

We investigate the Casimir force between a microfabricated elliptic cylinder (cylindrical lens) and a plate made of real materials. After a brief discussion of the fabrication procedure, which typically results in elliptic rather than circular cylinders, the Lifshitz-type formulas for the Casimir force and for its gradient are derived. In the specific case of equal semiaxes, the resulting formulas coincide with those derived previously for circular cylinders. The nanofabrication procedure may also result in asymmetric cylindrical lenses obtained from parts of two different cylinders, or rotated through some angle about the axis of the cylinder. In these cases the Lifshitz-type formulas for the Casimir force between a lens and a plate and for its gradient are also derived, and the influence of lens asymmetry is determined. Additionally, we obtain an expression for the shift of the natural frequency of a micromachined oscillator with an attached elliptic cylindrical lens interacting with a plate via the Casimir force in a nonlinear regime.

quant-ph↗

What is credible and what is incredible in the measurements of the Casimir force

We comment on progress in measurements of the Casimir force and discuss what is the actual reliability of different experiments. In this connection a more rigorous approach to the usage of such concepts as accuracy, precision, and measure of agreement between experiment and theory, is presented. We demonstrate that all measurements of the Casimir force employing spherical lenses with centimeter-size curvature radii are fundamentally flawed due to the presence of bubbles and pits on their surfaces. The commonly used formulation of the proximity force approximation is shown to be inapplicable for centimeter-size lenses. New expressions for the Casimir force are derived taking into account surface imperfections. Uncontrollable deviations of the Casimir force from the values predicted using the assumption of perfect sphericity vary by a few tens of percent within the separation region from 1 to $3\,μ$m. This makes impractical further use of centimeter-size lenses in experiments on measuring the Casimir force.

quant-ph↗

Observation of the Thermal Casimir Force is Open to Question

We discuss theoretical predictions for the thermal Casimir force and compare them with available experimental data. Special attention is paid to the recent claim of the observation of that effect, as predicted by the Drude model approach. We show that this claim is in contradiction with a number of experiments reported so far. We suggest that the experimental errors, as reported in support of the observation of the thermal Casimir force, are significantly underestimated. Furthermore, the experimental data at separations above $3\,μ$m are shown to be in agreement not with the Drude model approach, as is claimed, but with the plasma model. The seeming agreement of the data with the Drude model at separations below $3\,μ$m is explained by the use of an inadequate formulation of the proximity force approximation.

quant-ph↗

Reduction of the Casimir force from indium tin oxide film by UV treatment

A significant decrease in the magnitude of the Casimir force (from 21% to 35%) was observed after an indium tin oxide (ITO) sample interacting with an Au sphere was subjected to the UV treatment. Measurements were performed by using an atomic force microscope (AFM) in high vacuum. The experimental results are compared with theory, and a hypothetical explanation for the observed phenomenon is proposed.

quant-ph↗

Control of the Casimir Force Using Semiconductor Test Bodies

We describe experimental and related theoretical work on the measurement of the Casimir force using semiconductor test bodies. This field of research started in 2005 and several important and interesting results have already been obtained. Specifically, the Casimir force or its gradient were measured in the configuration of an Au-coated sphere and different semiconductor surfaces. It was found that the force magnitude depends significantly on the replacement of the metal with a semiconductor and on the concentration of charge carriers in the semiconductor material. Special attention is paid to the experiment on the optical modulation of the Casimir force. In this experiment the difference Casimir force between an Au-coated sphere and Si plate in the presence and in the absence of laser light was measured. Possible applications of this experiment are discussed, specifically, for the realization of the pulsating Casimir force in three-layer systems. Theoretical problems arising from the comparison of the experimental data for the difference Casimir force with the Lifshitz theory are analyzed. We consider the possibility to control the magnitude of the Casimir force in phase transitions of semiconductor materials. Experiments on measuring the Casimir force gradient between an Au-coated sphere and Si plate covered with rectangular corrugations of different character are also described. Here, we discuss the interplay between the material properties and nontrivial geometry and the applicability of the proximity force approximation. The review contains comparison between different experiments and analysis of their advantages and disadvantages.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

Exact Casimir-Polder potential between a particle and an ideal metal cylindrical shell and the proximity force approximation

We derive the exact Casimir-Polder potential for a polarizable microparticle inside an ideal metal cylindrical shell using the Green function method. The exact Casimir-Polder potential for a particle outside a shell, obtained recently by using the Hamiltonian approach, is rederived and confirmed. The exact quantum field theoretical result is compared with that obtained using the proximity force approximation and a very good agreement is demonstrated at separations below 0.1$R$, where $R$ is the radius of the cylinder. The developed methods are applicable in the theory of topological defects.

hep-th↗