We report the optical detection of mechanical deformation of a macroscopic object induced by the Casimir force. An adaptive holographic interferometer based on a photorefractive BaTiO3:Co crystal was used to measure periodical nonlinear deformations of a thin pellicle caused by an oscillating Casimir force. A reasonable agreement between the experimental and calculated values of the first and second harmonics of the Casimir force oscillations has been obtained.

No abstract

No abstract

For the first time to the authors' knowledge, efficient control of the position of a macro object by coherent light was demonstrated. The minimal controllable mechanical displacement induced by the light pressure was 9 pm. No dependence of light pressure on wavelength in a broad wavelength range (405-1560 nm) was observed, as predicted by Maxwell's theory.

No abstract