# Quantum propulsion and trapping of nano-objects by inhomogeneity-induced lateral Casimir forces

## TL;DR

This paper demonstrates how inhomogeneity-induced lateral Casimir forces can be used to control, propel, and trap nano-objects with high precision, opening new avenues for quantum manipulation.

## Contribution

It introduces the first rigorous analysis of lateral Casimir forces caused by inhomogeneous plates and explores their application in nano-object control and trapping.

## Key findings

- Lateral Casimir force is significant near inhomogeneous plates.
- Force can dominate Brownian motion for nano-objects.
- Designing asymmetric nano-structures tailors the lateral Casimir force.

## Abstract

Lateral Casimir force near a laterally-inhomogeneous plate is first revealed by both rigorous simulations and proximity approximations. The inhomogeneity-induced lateral Casimir force provides a novel method to control the lateral motion of nano-objects above the plate, and makes source-free manipulations of them possible. When incorporated with the Casimir repulsion in a fluid, the lateral Casimir force is shown to dominate over Brownian motion and enables long-distance quantum propulsion and firm quantum trapping of nano-objects. Gratings of varying filling factors to mimic micro-scale inhomogeneity also confirm those effects. The idea to design asymmetric distributions of nano-structures paves the way to sophisticated tailoring of the lateral Casimir force.

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/1705.09526