A new device for exploring the landscape of microscopic interactions

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Presently there are two instruments that are commonly used for measuring weak forces: the classical torsion balance which was perfected by Cavendish in the 18th century and the atomic force microscope (AFM). The former excels at exquisite measurements of forces that have interaction ranges of more than 100 micrometers or so, and the latter is employed to measure interactions over length scales of less than 1 micrometer. The torsion balances have a sensitivity which is, by some measures, up to 6 orders of magnitude superior to that of the AFM. There is therefore a significant gap in our understanding of forces with ranges of the order of 100 micrometers and less. We will construct and demonstrate a novel hybrid device that will fill this gap. The new device will be based on a 3-wire suspension that will allow precision positioning of sample substrates using standard technologies. We will demonstrate the new instrument by measuring short range forces such as the Casimir or van der Waals interaction.