Casimir Repulsion between Metallic Objects in Vacuum

Author(s)
Levin, Michael; McCauley, Alexander Patrick; Rodriguez, Alejandro W.; Reid, M. T. Homer; Johnson, Steven G.
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Abstract
We give an example of a geometry in which two metallic objects in vacuum experience a repulsive Casimir force. The geometry consists of an elongated metal particle centered above a metal plate with a hole. We prove that this geometry has a repulsive regime using a symmetry argument and confirm it with numerical calculations for both perfect and realistic metals. The system does not support stable levitation, as the particle is unstable to displacements away from the symmetry axis.
Date issued
2010-08
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/60908
Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mathematics; Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Physics
Journal
Physical Review Letters
Publisher
American Physical Society
Citation
Levin, Michael et al. “Casimir Repulsion between Metallic Objects in Vacuum.” Physical Review Letters 105.9 (2010): 090403. © 2010 The American Physical Society.
Version: Final published version
ISSN
0031-9007
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