Lab 61: Casimir Effect Setup
🧪 Objective#
Demonstrate the Casimir force between two conductive plates using a simplified tabletop setup.
🧰 Materials#
- Two gold-coated plates (1 cm²)
- Piezo actuator
- Laser interferometer
- Vacuum chamber (optional)
🛠️ Procedure#
- Mount plates parallel at sub-micron separation.
- Use piezo actuator to vary distance.
- Measure displacement via interferometer.
- Record force-distance curve.
📐 Key Equation#
Casimir force between plates:
$$ F = \frac{\pi^2 \hbar c}{240 d^4} $$
Where ( d ) is the separation distance.
🔁 Reproducibility Notes#
- Ensure plate alignment within 1 µrad
- Calibrate interferometer before each run
- Repeat measurements at multiple separations
🎭 Mythic Motif#
“The void isn’t empty—it sings in silence.”
— Nawder Loswin