The measurement of the Casimir force between a large gold coated sphere and single crystal silicon plate is performed with an atomic force microscope. A rigorous statistical comparison of data with theory is done, without use of the concept of root-mean-square deviation, and excellent agreement is obtained. The Casimir force between metal and semiconductor is demonstrated to be significantly different than between two similar or dissimilar metals.

F. Chen U. Mohideen G. L. Klimchitskaya V. M. Mostepanenko

A measurement of the Casimir force between a gold coated sphere and two Si plates of different carrier densities is performed using a high vacuum based atomic force microscope. The results are compared with the Lifshitz theory and good agreement is found. Our experiment demonstrates that by changing the carrier density of the semiconductor plate by several orders of magnitude it is possible to modify the Casimir interaction. This result may find applications in nanotechnology.

F. Chen G. L. Klimchitskaya V. M. Mostepanenko U. Mohideen

We report the first experiment on the optical modulation of dispersion forces through a change of the carrier density in a Si membrane. For this purpose a high-vacuum based atomic force microscope and excitation light pulses from an Ar laser are used. The experimental results are compared with two theoretical models. The modulation of the dispersion force will find applications in optomechanical micromachines.

F. Chen G. L. Klimchitskaya V. M. Mostepanenko U. Mohideen

We demonstrate that the approach by Rodrigues et al. (PRL, v.96, 100402, 2006) to the description of the lateral Casimir force between corrugated surfaces is in disagreement with a path-integral theory by Emig et al. (PRA, v.67, 022114, 2003), and the approximations used are not appropriate for comparison to experiment.

F. Chen U. Mohideen G. L. Klimchitskaya V. M. Mostepanenko

The Kramers-Kronig relations are derived for the permittivity of the usual plasma model which neglects dissipation and of a generalized model which takes into account the interband transitions. The generalized plasma model is shown to be consistent with all precision experiments on the measurement of the Casimir force.

G. L. Klimchitskaya U. Mohideen V. M. Mostepanenko

Based on the Lifshitz theory we show that the illumination of one (Si) plate in the three-layer systems Au--ethanol--Si, Si--ethanol--Si and $\alpha$-Al${}_2$O${}_3$--ethanol--Si with laser pulses can change the Casimir attraction to Casimir repulsion and vice versa. The proposed effect opens novel opportunities in nanotechnology to actuate the periodic movement in electro- and optomechanical micromachines based entirely on the zero-point oscillations of the quantum vacuum without the action of mechanical springs.

G. L. Klimchitskaya U. Mohideen V. M. Mostepanenko

The recently suggested modification of the transverse electric contribution to the Lifshitz formula (S. K. Lamoreaux, arXiv:0801.1283) is discussed. We show that this modification is inconsistent with the data of two precise experiments, and violates the Nernst heat theorem. The preprint's suggestion concerning the resolution of the "apparent violation of the Third Law of Thermodynamics" is shown to be incorrect.

R. S. Decca E. Fischbach B. Geyer G. L. Klimchitskaya D. E. Krause D. López U. Mohideen V. M. Mostepanenko

We demonstrate that the generalization of the Lifshitz theory proposed by L. P. Pitaevskii arXiv:0801.0656 [Phys. Rev. Lett. v.101, 163202 (2008)] violates the Nernst heat theorem for many dielectric materials and is experimentally inconsistent.

B. Geyer G. L. Klimchitskaya U. Mohideen V. M. Mostepanenko

Recently D. A. R. Dalvit and S. K. Lamoreaux arXiv:0805.1676 [Phys. Rev. Lett. v.101, 163203 (2008)] suggested the modification of the reflection coefficients in the Lifshitz theory taking into account the screening effects and diffusion currents. We demonstrate that the suggested modification is thermodynamically and experimentally inconsistent.

R. S. Decca E. Fischbach B. Geyer G. L. Klimchitskaya D. E. Krause D. Lopez U. Mohideen V. M. Mostepanenko

A significant decrease in the magnitude of the Casimir force (from 21% to 35%) was observed after an indium tin oxide (ITO) sample interacting with an Au sphere was subjected to the UV treatment. Measurements were performed by using an atomic force microscope (AFM) in high vacuum. The experimental results are compared with theory, and a hypothetical explanation for the observed phenomenon is proposed.

C. C. Chang A. A. Banishev G. L. Klimchitskaya V. M. Mostepanenko U. Mohideen