A system for probing Casimir energy corrections to the condensation energy

Measuring quantum fluctuations with NEMS A nano-electromechanical system (NEMS) allows for the direct measurement of Casimir energy. The Casimir effect relates to the fluctuation of electromagnetic waves between two plates in a vacuum. Previous studies used plate capacitors that function by detecting small Casimir forces exerted on the plates by the electromagnetic fluctuations. Now, a team from the United States and Switzerland led by David Bishop, of Boston University, Massachusetts, and Vladimir Aksyuk of the National institute of Standards and Technology, have developed a technique in which a thin lead superconductor film is placed parallel to a gold surface. This allows direct measurements as the plate and film are brought close together and the actual Casimir energy in the cavity changes. The team measured the Casimir energy via its effect on the superconductor’s “transition temperature”, finding changes no more than 12 micro-Kelvin. The team says their paper “opens a novel experimental window” that future studies should exploit.