Levitation in an "almost" electrostatic field

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that adding a small oscillating electrical field to an electrostatic setup can stabilize unstable equilibrium points, enabling electrostatic levitation which is traditionally considered impossible.

Contribution

It introduces a novel method of stabilizing electrostatic levitation using oscillating electrical fields, inspired by mechanical analogies.

Findings

Stable electrostatic levitation achieved with oscillating fields

Theoretical analogy with mechanical systems

Potential applications in precise particle control

Abstract

It is well known that a charged particle cannot be in stable equilibrium in a purely electrostatic field. The situation is different in a magnetostatic field; consequently, magnetic levitation is possible while electrostatic levitation is not. In this paper, motivated by an analogy with a mechanical system, we show that the addition of a small oscillating electrical field to an otherwise electrostatic configuration leads to the stabilisation of unstable equilibrium points. Therefore, levitation becomes possible in an "almost electrostatic" field.