Fluid sensitive nanoscale switching with quantum levitation controlled by $\alpha$-Sn/$\beta$-Sn phase transition

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates how the phase transition between $ ext{Sn}$ allotropes can reversibly switch Lifshitz forces from repulsive to attractive, enabling phase-controlled quantum levitation in a liquid medium.

Contribution

It introduces a novel mechanism to control nanoscale forces via phase transition of $ ext{Sn}$, affecting Lifshitz pressure through dielectric function changes.

Findings

Phase transition from $ ext{α}$-Sn to $ ext{β}$-Sn switches Lifshitz force from repulsive to attractive.

Dielectric function differences cause the force modulation at different frequencies.

Potential for phase-controlled quantum levitation in liquid media.

Abstract

We analyse the Lifshitz pressure between silica and tin separated by a liquid mixture of bromobenzene and chlorobenzene. We show that the phase transition from semimetallic $\alpha$-Sn to metallic $\beta$-Sn can switch Lifshitz forces from repulsive to attractive. This effect is caused by the difference in dielectric functions of $\alpha$-Sn and $\beta$-Sn, giving both attractive and repulsive contributions to the total Lifshitz pressure at different frequency regions controlled by the composition of the intervening liquid mixture. In this way, one may be able to produce phase transition-controlled quantum levitation in liquid medium.