Dispersion interaction between crossed conducting wires

Journal Article · Wed Jul 15 04:00:00 EDT 2009 · Physical Review. A

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVA.80.012506· OSTI ID:21313248

Dobson, John F; Gould, Timothy ^[1]; Klich, Israel ^[2]

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1. Nanoscale Science and Technology Centre, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland 4111, Australia and CSIRO National Hydrogen Materials Alliance, CSIRO Energy Centre, 10 Murray Dwyer Circuit, Steel River Estate, Mayfield West, New South Wales 2301 (Australia)
2. Department of Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904 (United States)

We compute the T=0 K Van der Waals (nonretarded Casimir) interaction energy E between two infinitely long, crossed conducting wires separated by a minimum distance D much greater than their radius. We find that, up to a logarithmic correction factor, E{proportional_to}-D{sup -1}|sin {theta}|{sup -1}f({theta}), where f({theta}) is a smooth bounded function of the angle {theta} between the wires. We recover a conventional result of the form E{proportional_to}-D{sup -4}|sin {theta}|{sup -1}g({theta}) when we include an electronic energy gap in our calculation. Our prediction of gap-dependent energetics may be observable experimentally for carbon nanotubes either via atomic force microscopy detection of the Van der Waals force or torque or indirectly via observation of mechanical oscillations. This shows that strictly parallel wires, as assumed in previous predictions, are not needed to see a unique effect of this type.

• OSTI ID: 21313248
• Journal Information: Physical Review. A, Journal Name: Physical Review. A Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 80; ISSN 1050-2947; ISSN PLRAAN
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPY
CARBON
CORRECTIONS
DETECTION
DEUTERIUM IONS
DISTANCE
ENERGY GAP
FORECASTING
FUNCTIONS
INTERACTIONS
INTERMOLECULAR FORCES
NANOTUBES
OSCILLATIONS
VAN DER WAALS FORCES
WIRES