State of the art in Van der Waals atom-surface potential measurements

ORAL

Abstract

Van der Waals and Casimir-Polder potentials are the dominant interactions between charge-neutral objects at nano- to micrometer length scales. As such they have attracted considerable interest in the field of nanotechnology. Understanding of these potentials is important in searches for new forces such as deviations from Newtonian potentials at very short length scales and vacuum friction. We have recently made significant advances in precision measurements of the Van der Waals atom-surface potential strength (C3). Using either interferometer or diffraction experiments we are able to determine the interaction strength (C3) between an atom and a nano-grating with a precision of 6\%. This is a factor of 5 improvement over previous diffraction experiments. We also report ratios of C3 for different atoms with a precision of better than 3\%. At this level of precision we are sensitive to the contribution of core electrons in the atom as well as the geometry of the surface. We have already been able to set an upper limit on the magnitude of non-newtonian potentials for lithium that is competitive with previous limits.

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Authors

  • Vincent Lonij

    University of Arizona

  • John Poate

    Brigham Young University, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Utah, USA, MV Systems, Inc., USA, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin fuer Materialien und Energie, Abteilung Silizium-Photovoltaik, Germany, Colorado School of Mines, Department of Physics, USA, Georgia Institute of Technology, Arizona State University, Physics Department of Babolsar University, Iran, Physics Department, New Mexico State University, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287-1604, USA, Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA, Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287-1504, USA, Colorado State University, University of Wisconsin, NSF ERC for Extreme Ultraviolet Science and Technology, Colorado State University, BYU-Provo, Michigan Technical University and Pierre Auger Collaboration, University of Colorado, Colorado School of Mines, Department of Physics, Colorado State University, Department of Physics, Cornell University, NASA, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, University of Massachusetss at Amherst, APS President, Harvard University, Society of Physics Students, Duke University, Computer Science, Brigham Young University, Chemistry \& Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, University of Arizona, University of Utah, Kansas State Univ., Bethel University, University of New Mexico, Stanford University, JILA, University of Colorado at Boulder, NIST, JILA, University of Colorado at Boulder, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, University of Denver, University of Colorado, Boulder, NREL, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287- 1604, USA, DU, ERI, Eleanor Roosevelt Institute (ERI), Cerro Tololo Interamerican Observatory, Utah State University, Center for Atmospheric and Space Sciences, Sciprint.org, University of Colorado at Boulder, JILA and University of Colorado, Kirchhoff Institute for Physics, University of Heidelberg, Utah Valley University, University of New South Wales, San Francisco State University, Weber State University, Cambridge University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Utah, Kansas State University, Columbia University, NY, University of Colorado/JILA, Vice-President for Research and Technology Transfer, Colorado School of Mines

  • John Poate

    Brigham Young University, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Utah, USA, MV Systems, Inc., USA, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin fuer Materialien und Energie, Abteilung Silizium-Photovoltaik, Germany, Colorado School of Mines, Department of Physics, USA, Georgia Institute of Technology, Arizona State University, Physics Department of Babolsar University, Iran, Physics Department, New Mexico State University, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287-1604, USA, Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA, Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287-1504, USA, Colorado State University, University of Wisconsin, NSF ERC for Extreme Ultraviolet Science and Technology, Colorado State University, BYU-Provo, Michigan Technical University and Pierre Auger Collaboration, University of Colorado, Colorado School of Mines, Department of Physics, Colorado State University, Department of Physics, Cornell University, NASA, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, University of Massachusetss at Amherst, APS President, Harvard University, Society of Physics Students, Duke University, Computer Science, Brigham Young University, Chemistry \& Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, University of Arizona, University of Utah, Kansas State Univ., Bethel University, University of New Mexico, Stanford University, JILA, University of Colorado at Boulder, NIST, JILA, University of Colorado at Boulder, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, University of Denver, University of Colorado, Boulder, NREL, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287- 1604, USA, DU, ERI, Eleanor Roosevelt Institute (ERI), Cerro Tololo Interamerican Observatory, Utah State University, Center for Atmospheric and Space Sciences, Sciprint.org, University of Colorado at Boulder, JILA and University of Colorado, Kirchhoff Institute for Physics, University of Heidelberg, Utah Valley University, University of New South Wales, San Francisco State University, Weber State University, Cambridge University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Utah, Kansas State University, Columbia University, NY, University of Colorado/JILA, Vice-President for Research and Technology Transfer, Colorado School of Mines

  • John Poate

    Brigham Young University, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Utah, USA, MV Systems, Inc., USA, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin fuer Materialien und Energie, Abteilung Silizium-Photovoltaik, Germany, Colorado School of Mines, Department of Physics, USA, Georgia Institute of Technology, Arizona State University, Physics Department of Babolsar University, Iran, Physics Department, New Mexico State University, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287-1604, USA, Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA, Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287-1504, USA, Colorado State University, University of Wisconsin, NSF ERC for Extreme Ultraviolet Science and Technology, Colorado State University, BYU-Provo, Michigan Technical University and Pierre Auger Collaboration, University of Colorado, Colorado School of Mines, Department of Physics, Colorado State University, Department of Physics, Cornell University, NASA, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, University of Massachusetss at Amherst, APS President, Harvard University, Society of Physics Students, Duke University, Computer Science, Brigham Young University, Chemistry \& Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, University of Arizona, University of Utah, Kansas State Univ., Bethel University, University of New Mexico, Stanford University, JILA, University of Colorado at Boulder, NIST, JILA, University of Colorado at Boulder, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, University of Denver, University of Colorado, Boulder, NREL, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287- 1604, USA, DU, ERI, Eleanor Roosevelt Institute (ERI), Cerro Tololo Interamerican Observatory, Utah State University, Center for Atmospheric and Space Sciences, Sciprint.org, University of Colorado at Boulder, JILA and University of Colorado, Kirchhoff Institute for Physics, University of Heidelberg, Utah Valley University, University of New South Wales, San Francisco State University, Weber State University, Cambridge University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Utah, Kansas State University, Columbia University, NY, University of Colorado/JILA, Vice-President for Research and Technology Transfer, Colorado School of Mines