Experimental test for the conductivity properties from the Casimir force between metal and semiconductor
- Department of Physics, University of California, Riverside, California 92521 (United States)
The experimental investigation of the Casimir force between a large metallized sphere and semiconductor plate is performed using an atomic force microscope. Improved calibration and measurement procedures permitted a reduction in the role of different uncertainties. Rigorous statistical procedures are applied for the analysis of random, systematic, and total experimental errors at 95% confidence. The theoretical Casimir force is computed for semiconductor plates with different conductivity properties, taking into account all theoretical uncertainties discussed in the literature. The comparison between experiment and theory is done at both 95% and 70% confidence. It is demonstrated that the theoretical results computed for the semiconductor plate used in experiment are consistent with the data. At the same time, the theory describing a dielectric plate is excluded by experiment at 70% confidence. Thus, the Casimir force is proved to be sensitive to the conductivity properties of semiconductors.
- OSTI ID:
- 20853014
- Journal Information:
- Physical Review. A, Vol. 74, Issue 2; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.74.022103; (c) 2006 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1050-2947
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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