Casimir Force at a Knife's Edge

Abstract

The Casimir force has been computed exactly for only a few simple geometries, such as infinite plates, cylinders, and spheres. We show that a parabolic cylinder, for which analytic solutions to the Helmholtz equation are available, is another case where such a calculation is possible. We compute the interaction energy of a parabolic cylinder and an infinite plate (both perfect mirrors), as a function of their separation and inclination, $H$ and $\theta$, and the cylinder's parabolic radius $R$. As $H/R\to 0$, the proximity force approximation becomes exact. The opposite limit of $R/H\to 0$ corresponds to a semi-infinite plate, where the effects of edge and inclination can be probed.