Nanoscale transfer of angular momentum mediated by the Casimir torque

TL;DR

This paper explores how Casimir torque enables noncontact transfer of angular momentum between nanoscale rotating particles, revealing new dynamics and potential for nanomechanical control.

Contribution

It provides analytical expressions for Casimir torque on nanoparticles and demonstrates its role in synchronization and novel behaviors in nanoscale systems.

Findings

Casimir torque can transfer angular momentum efficiently between nanoparticles.

Analytical models predict synchronization and complex dynamics like rattleback behavior.

Implications for controlling nanomechanical devices at the nanoscale.

Abstract

Casimir interactions play an important role in the dynamics of nanoscale objects. Here, we investigate the noncontact transfer of angular momentum at the nanoscale through the analysis of the Casimir torque acting on a chain of rotating nanoparticles. We show that this interaction, which arises from the vacuum and thermal fluctuations of the electromagnetic field, enables an efficient transfer of angular momentum between the elements of the chain. Working within the framework of fluctuational electrodynamics, we derive analytical expressions for the Casimir torque acting on each nanoparticle in the chain, which we use to study the synchronization of chains with different geometries and to predict unexpected dynamics, including a rattleback-like behavior. Our results provide new insights into the Casimir torque and how it can be exploited to achieve efficient noncontact transfer of angular momentum at the nanoscale, and therefore have important implications for the control and manipulation of nanomechanical devices.