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Nonlinear Micromechanical Casimir Oscillator

H. B. Chan, V. A. Aksyuk, R. N. Kleiman, D. J. Bishop, Federico Capasso

quant-pharXiv:quant-ph/0109046

Abstract

The Casimir force between uncharged metallic surfaces originates from quantum mechanical zero point fluctuations of the electromagnetic field. We demonstrate that this quantum electrodynamical effect has a profound influence on the oscillatory behavior of microstructures when surfaces are in close proximity (<= 100 nm). Frequency shifts, hysteretic behavior and bistability caused by the Casimir force are observed in the frequency response of a periodically driven micromachined torsional oscillator.

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