Variations of the Lifshitz-van der Waals force between metals immersed in liquids

TL;DR

This paper presents a theoretical analysis of how the Lifshitz-van der Waals force between metallic slabs varies when immersed in different liquids, considering changes in metal optical properties due to the liquid environment.

Contribution

It introduces a model that accounts for the modification of Drude parameters of metals in liquids, quantifying their impact on the force calculation.

Findings

Force variation up to 15% due to Drude parameter changes

Higher refractive index liquids cause larger force differences

Theoretical predictions depend on liquid's optical properties

Abstract

We present a theoretical calculation of the Lifshitz-van der Waals force between two metallic slabs embedded in a fluid, taking into account the change of the Drude parameters of the metals when in contact with liquids of different index of refraction. For the three liquids considered in this work, water, $CCl_3F$ and $ CBr_3F$ the change in the Drude parameters of the metal imply a difference of up to 15% in the determination of the force at short separations. These variations in the force is bigger for liquids with a higher index of refraction.