Do the precise measurements of the Casimir force agree with the expectations?

Abstract

An upper limit on the Casimir force is found using the dielectric functions of perfect crystalline materials which depend only on well defined material constants. The force measured with the atomic force microscope is larger than this limit at small separations between bodies and the discrepancy is significant. The simplest modification of the experiment is proposed allowing to make its results more reliable and answer the question if the discrepancy has any relation with the existence of a new force.

9 pages, LaTeX, 2 Postscript figures

References in corpus (1)

• Complete roughness and conductivity corrections for the recent Casimir force measurement

Cited by in corpus (24)

• New Developments in the Casimir Effect
• Precise comparison of theory and new experiment for the Casimir force leads to stronger constraints on thermal quantum effects and long-range interactions
• Violation of the Nernst heat theorem in the theory of thermal Casimir force between Drude metals
• Optical properties of gold films and the Casimir force
• The Casimir force and the quantum theory of lossy optical cavities
• Casimir effect with rough metallic mirrors
• Influence of slab thickness on the Casimir force
• Surface-impedance approach solves problems with the thermal Casimir force between real metals
• Correlation of energy and free energy for the thermal Casimir force between real metals
• Correction to the Casimir force due to the anomalous skin effect
• Thermodynamical aspects of the Casimir force between real metals at nonzero temperature
• Sample dependence of the Casimir forces
• Nonlocal impedances and the Casimir entropy at low temperatures
• Temperature dependence of the Casimir force between real metals: problems and approach to their resolution
• Linear in temperature correction to the Casimir force
• Temperature correction to the Casimir force in cryogenic range and anomalous skin effect
• Casimir force under the influence of real conditions
• Precise calculation of the Casimir force between gold surfaces
• Comment on ''Surface-impedance approach solves problems with the thermal Casimir force between real metals''
• Influence of water adsorbed on gold on van der Waals/Casimir forces
• Measurement of the Casimir force in a gas and in a liquid
• Casimir forces in a Plasma: Possible Connections to Yukawa Potentials
• What is the Temperature Dependence of the Casimir Force between Real Metals?
• Characterization of optical properties and surface roughness profiles: The Casimir force between real materials