1984/08/15 by Robert L. Forward · 1 citation
Physics and Astronomy · Engineering · #Quantum Electrodynamics and Casimir Effect #Experimental and Theoretical Physics Studies #Thermal Radiation and Cooling Technologies #Casimir effect #Casimir pressure #Physics #Electrical conductor #Conductor #Electric potential energy #Electrostatic force microscope #Electric field #Electric charge #Vacuum energy #Electrostatics #Electron #Condensed matter physics #Quantum electrodynamics #Classical mechanics #Energy (signal processing) #Quantum mechanics #Materials science #Nanotechnology #Atomic force microscopy
paper · doi:10.1103/physrevb.30.1700
openalex publication_date 1984/08/15 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/22
Any pair of conducting plates at close distances ( \ensuremathμm) experience an attractive Casimir force that is due to the electromagnetic zero-point fluctuations of the vacuum. A "vacuum-fluctuation battery" can be constructed by using the Casimir force to do work on a stack of charged conducting plates. By applying a charge of the same polarity to each conducting plate, a repulsive electrostatic force will be produced that opposes the Casimir force. If the applied electrostatic force is adjusted to be always slightly less than the Casimir force, the plates will move toward each other and the Casimir force will add energy to the electric field between the plates. The battery can be recharged by making the electrical forces slightly stronger than the Casimir force to reexpand the foliated conductor.