| AVS 58th Annual International Symposium and Exhibition | |
| MEMS and NEMS Group | Friday Sessions |
| Session MN-FrM |
| Session: | Characterization of Materials and Structures at the Micro- and Nano-scale |
| Presenter: | Daniel Lopez, Argonne National Laboratory |
| Correspondent: | Click to Email |
Metallic and dielectric objects are surrounded by fluctuating electromagnetic fields due to thermal and quantum fluctuations of the charge and current density at the surface of the bodies. Immediately outside the objects, this electromagnetic field exists partly in the form of propagating electromagnetic waves and partly in the form of evanescent waves that decay exponentially with distance away from the body’s surface. These fluctuating electromagnetic modes are responsible for a great variety of near-field phenomena such as the Van der Waals force, the Casimir force, near-field heat transfer, and non-contact friction forces. As devices evolve from micro- to nanoscale structures, these forces become relatively stronger, and their effect cannot be disregarded any further. For example, researchers working to develop NEMS devices need to consider the effects caused by Van der Waals and Casimir forces which can leads to compromise in the range of motion or in the voltages required for actuation. To improve our understanding of these near-field interactions and to develop mechanisms to control them is extremely important for a diversity of seemingly different fields, such as nanomechanics, quantum computing with trapped ions, measurements of gravitational forces at the nanometer scale, and detection of single spins for magnetic resonance force microscopy.
In this presentation I will describe the fundamentals of near-field forces, I will review recent scientific advances regarding manipulation of these interactions in the field of nanomechanics, and I will illustrate novel applications that could be enabled once we are capable of control these forces.