Probing the Coherent Scattering of Zero-point Photons in the Casimir Force using Diffraction Gratings

卡西米尔力作用于放置在真空中的两个物体之间。根据现代物理定律，真空不是绝对的空，而是充满了无限数量的虚拟粒子。Casimir力是由于这两个物体的存在而导致这些虚拟粒子的性质改变的结果。因此，它的价值和性质严重依赖于物体的形状和几何形状。在过去的五年里，在影响对简单几何形状的依赖这一领域，我们在理论上取得了快速的进展，部分原因是我们证明了正弦波纹表面(栅格)的横向Casimir力。对于这种光栅，虚光子的衍射式相干散射效应不能用仅仅将相互作用体的小截面效应相加的标准理论来预测。我们的目标是用正弦和锯齿(闪耀)光栅来完全映射横向Casimir力中虚光子的相干散射。这种横向Casimir力在纳米级齿轮、齿条和小齿轮系统中实现非接触横向平移已被预测出许多应用。PI参与了许多具有更广泛影响的协同活动。他在实验室研究中指导了两名K-12学生，12名本科生(7名少数民族)，8名研究生和6名博士后研究员。申请资助辅导一名少数族裔本科生和研究生。UCR是一家少数族裔机构。PI的研究发表在领先的期刊上，也在许多公开公告中报道过。作为NSF资助的项目的一部分，PI为高中生和社区大学学生开发了教学模块。他与他人共同组织了五次研讨会。力测量技术已被转移到超灵敏微型生物传感器的开发中。

The Casimir force acts between two bodies placed in empty space (vacuum). According to the laws of modern physics the vacuum is not an absolute emptiness, but is filled with an infinite number of virtual particles. The Casimir force results from the modifications of the properties of these virtual particles due to the presence of the two bodies. Thus its value and nature is critically dependent on the shape and geometry of the bodies. The last five years have seen rapid theoretical advances in the area of the dependence of the effect on simple geometry, motivated in part by our demonstration of the lateral Casimir force for sinusoidally corrugated surfaces (gratings). For such gratings, the diffraction-like coherent scattering effects of the virtual photons cannot be predicted by standard theories which merely add up the effects of small sections of the interacting bodies. Our objectives are to completely map the coherent scattering of virtual photons in the lateral Casimir force with both sinusoidal and saw toothed (blazed) gratings. Many applications for such lateral Casimir forces for bringing about noncontact lateral translations in nanoscale gears and rack and pinion systems have been predicted.The PI has been involved with many synergistic activities of broader impact. He has mentored two K-12 students, 12 undergraduates (7 minority), 8 graduate students and 6 postdoctoral fellows in lab research. Funding for mentoring one minority undergraduate and graduate student is requested. UCR is a minority institution. The PI's research is published in leading journals and has also been reported in many public announcements. The PI has developed teaching modules for high school and community college students as part of a NSF funded project. He has co-organized five workshops. The force measurement technique has been transferred for the development of ultrasensitive microfabricated biosensors.