Classical and fluctuation-induced electromagnetic interactions in micronscale systems: designer bonding, antibonding, and Casimir forces

TL;DR

This review discusses recent advances in understanding and measuring electromagnetic forces at the microscale, including optomechanical and Casimir effects, highlighting their physical origins, experimental observations, and potential applications in nanotechnology.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of recent theoretical predictions and experimental measurements of attractive and repulsive electromagnetic forces, emphasizing their physical mechanisms and design implications.

Findings

Observation of both attractive and repulsive optomechanical forces

Predictions of modified and repulsive Casimir forces in nanostructures

Discussion of electromagnetic forces' role in micromechanical device control

Abstract

Whether intentionally introduced to exert control over particles and macroscopic objects, such as for trapping or cooling, or whether arising from the quantum and thermal fluctuations of charges in otherwise neutral bodies, leading to unwanted stiction between nearby mechanical parts, electromagnetic interactions play a fundamental role in many naturally occurring processes and technologies. In this review, we survey recent progress in the understanding and experimental observation of optomechanical and quantum-fluctuation forces. Although both of these effects arise from exchange of electromagnetic momentum, their dramatically different origins, involving either real or virtual photons, lead to different physical manifestations and design principles. Specifically, we describe recent predictions and measurements of attractive and repulsive optomechanical forces, based on the bonding and antibonding interactions of evanescent waves, as well as predictions of modified and even repulsive Casimir forces between nanostructured bodies. Finally, we discuss the potential impact and interplay of these forces in emerging experimental regimes of micromechanical devices.