Casimir repulsion between metallic objects in vacuum.
We give an example of a geometry in which two metallic objects in vacuum experience a repulsive Casimir force. The geometry consists of an elongated metal particle centered above a metal plate with a hole. We prove that this geometry has a repulsive regime using a symmetry argument and confirm it with numerical calculations for both perfect and realistic metals. The system does not support stable levitation, as the particle is unstable to displacements away from the symmetry axis.
Levin
Michael
M
Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA.
McCauley
Alexander P
AP
Rodriguez
Alejandro W
AW
Reid
M T Homer
MT
Johnson
Steven G
SG