Abstract
We report a precision measurement of the Casimir force 1-2 which would allow a careful check of the theoretical assumptions in quantum field theory. The Casimir force! takes its name after the Dutch physicist H.B.G. Casimir, who in 1948, calculated an extraordinary property that two uncharged (neutral) metallic plates would have an attractive force in vacuum. This results from an alteration by the metal boundaries of the zero point electromagnetic energy, that pervades all of space. This force which is a consequence of quantization of electromagnetism is also applicable to the strong, weak and gravitational forces2. Similar forces result when the strong, weak or gravitational forces are altered by boundaries. Examples include atomic nucleii which confine the quarks and gluons3, and event horizon of black holes2. The presence of this force can also imply a choice between a closed or open universe. A precision measurement of the force would allow a check of the assumptions and would have fundamental implications for cosmology, gravity and quantum field theory.
© 1998 Optical Society of America
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