The Future of van der Waals Force-Enabled Technology Transfer into the Aerospace Marketplace

Pinto, Fabrizio

doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-812667-7.00029-x

Cited by 4 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…Although we shall not even attempt to speculate about possible future developments here, we shall recall that, when Jordan Maclay and his collaborators suggested in 1995 that electrodynamical Casimir forces may have some important applications in microelectromechanical system (MEMS) engineering [70], it was certainly less than obvious that such apparently exotic interactions would, two decades later, enable a human to climb vertically on glass [199]. Such has been, however, the history of dispersion force research technology transfer [3].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Predictably, a classical electromagnetic zero-point field is perceived as a highly controversial proposal [3]-indeed Boyer noted that "some readers . .…”

Section: The Quantum Structure Of the Atom Quantum Electrodynamics An...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Casimir effect is quite typically described as "an empirically verified quantum mechanical phenomenon involving an attractive force between two parallel uncharged mirrors in vacuum that exists even at zero temperature" [1]. The core of Casimir's original idea [2], which, with some variation of detail [3], he consistently traced to an early conversation with Bohr, is that a non-zero energy exists even in a vacuum. This is because the Uncertainty Principle of quantum mechanics prevents all components of the electric and magnetic fields to vanish identically at the same position in spacetime, so that contributions to the total energy density from electromagnetic fluctuations are expected [4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The formulation of the same theory in the gravitational case is straightforward, as sketched out in Section 6. 3.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Gravitational Dispersion Forces and Gravity Quantization

Pinto

2020

Symmetry

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The parallel development of the theories of electrodynamical and gravitational dispersion forces reveals important differences. The former arose earlier than the formulation of quantum electrodynamics so that expressions for the unretarded, van der Waals forces were obtained by treating the field as classical. Even after the derivation of quantum electrodynamics, semiclassical considerations continued to play a critical role in the interpretation of the full results, including in the retarded regime. On the other hand, recent predictions about the existence of gravitational dispersion forces were obtained without any consideration that the gravitational field might be fundamentally classical. This is an interesting contrast, as several semiclassical theories of electrodynamical dispersion forces exist although the electromagnetic field is well known to be quantized, whereas no semiclassical theory of gravitational dispersion forces was ever developed although a full quantum theory of gravity is lacking. In the first part of this paper, we explore this evolutionary process from a historical point of view, stressing that the existence of a Casimir effect is insufficient to demonstrate that a field is quantized. In the second part of the paper, we show that the recently published results about gravitational dispersion forces can be obtained without quantizing the gravitational field. This is done first in the unretarded regime by means of Margenau’s treatment of multipole dispersion forces, also obtaining mixed potentials. These results are extended to the retarded regime by generalizing to the gravitational field the approach originally proposed by McLachlan. The paper closes with a discussion of experimental challenges and philosophical implications connected to gravitational dispersion forces.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Predictably, a classical electromagnetic zero-point field is perceived as a highly controversial proposal [3]-indeed Boyer noted that "some readers . .…”

Section: The Quantum Structure Of the Atom Quantum Electrodynamics An...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The formulation of the same theory in the gravitational case is straightforward, as sketched out in Section 6. 3.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Gravitational Dispersion Forces and Gravity Quantization

Pinto

2020

Symmetry

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Gravimetry by Nanoscale Parametric Amplifiers Driven by Radiation-Induced Dispersion Force Modulation

Pinto¹

2022

International Association of Geodesy Symposia

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Here we present early results from lumped-element numerical simulations of a novel class of nano electromechanical systems (NEMS) presently being considered for ground-based gravimetry and future micro accelerometry applications in GPS-denied environments, including spacecraft. The strategy we discuss is based on measuring the effects of non-inertial or gravitational forces on the dynamics of a standard oscillator driven at its resonance frequency by a time-dependent electrostatic potential. In order to substantially enhance the sensitivity of the instrument, the oscillating mass is made to simultaneously interact with a nearby boundary so as to be affected by quantum electrodynamical Casimir forces. Furthermore, unlike previously published proposals, in the design presented herein the Casimir boundary does not oscillate but it is a fixed semiconducting layer. As already demonstrated experimentally, this arrangement enables Casimir force time-modulation by semiconductor back-illumination. Such a design strategy, first suggested by this author as a promising approach to gravitational wave detection in different nano-sensors, allows for the realization of a Casimir force-pumped mechanical parametric amplifier. Such devices can, in principle, yield gains of several orders of magnitude in the mechanical response amplitude over the response from standard unpumped oscillators. The numerical proof-of-concept first presented herein points to a potentially new class of gravimetry products based on exploiting appropriately engineered dispersion forces as an emerging enabling general purpose technology on the nanoscale.

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Spacecraft Accelerometry with Parametric Nanoamplifiers Pumped by Radiation-Induced Dispersion Force Modulation

Pinto

2023

2023 IEEE 10th International Workshop on Metrology for AeroSpace (MetroAeroSpace)

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The Future of van der Waals Force-Enabled Technology Transfer into the Aerospace Marketplace

Cited by 4 publications

References 272 publications

Gravitational Dispersion Forces and Gravity Quantization

Gravitational Dispersion Forces and Gravity Quantization

Gravimetry by Nanoscale Parametric Amplifiers Driven by Radiation-Induced Dispersion Force Modulation

Spacecraft Accelerometry with Parametric Nanoamplifiers Pumped by Radiation-Induced Dispersion Force Modulation

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