Dr. Sol Carretero Palacios,

Universidad Autónoma de Madrid

Quantum trapping modelling based on the Casimir-Lifshitz force

When: 12:00-13:00 CET, March 16th (Thursday), 2023

Where: Seminar Room, ICMM-CSIC, Campus de Cantoblanco, Madrid

The Casimir-Lifshitz force originates from the quantum vacuum fluctuations of the electromagnetic field. This force is especially intense between interacting objects at nanoscale distances, and it can be attractive or repulsive depending on the optical properties of the materials involved (amongst other parameters). This fundamental phenomenon is at the heart of the malfunctioning of nano- and micro-electromechanical devices (NEMS and MEMS) that integrate many of the gadgets we use in our daily lives. Absolute control over these forces would make it possible to suppress adhesion and friction in these NEMs and MEMs.

During this talk, I will show the possibility of controlling the Casimir-Lifshitz force by tuning the optical properties of the interacting objects. Specifically, I will present diverse examples of quantum levitation of self-standing thin films comprising multilayer structures or films with spatial inhomogeneities, based on the Casimir-Lifshitz force.

YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iA0VfSgdGbw