The Casimir atomic pendulum
Abstract
We want to introduce an atomic pendulum whose driving force (torque) is due to the quantum vacuum fluctuations. Applying the well-known Casimir-Polder effect to a special configuration (a combined structure of an atomic nanostring and a conducting plate), an atomic pendulum (Casimir atomic pendulum) is designed. Using practically acceptable data corresponding to the already known world of nanotechnology and based on reasonable/reliable numerical estimates, the period of oscillation for the pendulum is computed. This pendulum can be considered as both a new micro(nano)-electromechanical system and a new simple vacuum machine. Its design may be considered as a first step towards realizing the visualized vacuum (Casimir) clock!
- Publication:
-
Physics Letters A
- Pub Date:
- November 2008
- DOI:
- 10.1016/j.physleta.2008.09.040
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1308.0004
- Bibcode:
- 2008PhLA..372.6761R
- Keywords:
-
- 03.70.+k;
- 85.85.+j;
- Theory of quantized fields;
- Micro- and nano-electromechanical systems and devices;
- Quantum Physics;
- Condensed Matter - Other Condensed Matter
- E-Print:
- 8 pages, 2 figures