Comparison of the experimental data for the Casimir pressure with the Lifshitz theory at zero temperature

Journal Article · Tue Jun 15 00:00:00 EDT 2010 · Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVB.81.245421· OSTI ID:21389244

Geyer, B ^[1]; Klimchitskaya, G L ^[1]; Mostepanenko, V M ^[1]

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1. Institute for Theoretical Physics, Leipzig University, Postfach 100920, D-04009 Leipzig (Germany)

We perform detailed comparison of the experimental data of the experiment on the determination of the Casimir pressure between two parallel Au plates with the theoretical values computed using the Lifshitz formula at zero temperature. Computations are done using the optical data for the complex index of refraction of Au extrapolated to low frequencies by means of the Drude model with both most often used and other suggested Drude parameters. It is shown that the experimental data exclude the Lifshitz formula at zero temperature at a 70% confidence level if the Drude model with most often used values of the parameters is employed. If other values of the Drude parameters are used, the Lifshitz formula at zero frequency is experimentally excluded at a 95% confidence level. The Lifshitz formula at zero temperature combined with the generalized plasmalike model with most often used value of the plasma frequency is shown to be experimentally consistent. We propose a decisive experiment which will shed additional light on the role of relaxation properties of conduction electrons in the Casimir effect.

• OSTI ID: 21389244
• Journal Information: Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics, Vol. 81, Issue 24; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevB.81.245421; (c) 2010 The American Physical Society; ISSN 1098-0121
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
CALCULATION METHODS
CASIMIR EFFECT
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
ELECTRONS
GOLD
LANGMUIR FREQUENCY
REFRACTIVE INDEX
RELAXATION
SIMULATION
TEMPERATURE ZERO K
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ELEMENTS
EVALUATION
FERMIONS
LEPTONS
METALS
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
TRANSITION ELEMENTS