Related papers: Can nanotechnology experimentally solve the plane-…
The Casimir And Non-Newtonian force EXperiment (CANNEX) implements the unique geometry of macroscopic plane parallel plates that guarantees an optimum sensitivity with respect to interfacial forces and their gradients. Based on experience…
This thesis covers different subjects of nonlinear and quantum optics, studied in systems with scales smaller or com-parable to the wavelength of interest. The manuscript is divided into two parts. The first part of the manuscript dealswith…
Visualization and manipulation of nanoscale matter is one of the main and current challenges in nanosciences. To this aim, different techniques have been recently developed to non-invasively trap and manipulate nano-specimens, like…
Using Atomic Force Microscopes (AFM) to manipulate nano-objects is an actual challenge for surface scientists. Basic haptic interfacesbetween the AFM and experimentalists have already been implemented. Themulti-sensory renderings (seeing,…
The lateral Casimir force is employed to propose a design for a potentially wear-proof rack and pinion with no contact, which can be miniaturized to nano-scale. The robustness of the design is studied by exploring the relation between the…
The interaction of a bulk electron with conducting surfaces is studied by means of Bohm-Pines transformation in the second quantization formalism. The effective interaction potentials are obtained for the case of one plane and two plane…
We describe a novel experiment based on atoms trapped close to a macroscopic surface, to study the interactions between the atoms and the surface at very small separations (0.6 to 10 $\mu$m). In this range the dominant potential is the QED…
Motivated by the results of an experiment using atomic force microscopy performed by Gotsmann and Fuchs [Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 86}, 2597 (2001)], where a strong energy loss due to the tip-sample interaction was measured, we investigate the…
Friction is the basic, ubiquitous mechanical interaction between two surfaces that results in resistance to motion and energy dissipation. In spite of its technological and economic significance, our ability to control friction remains…
We report an experimental method to control large-area air-gaps in the nanometer range for evanescent coupling of light to surface waves such as surface plasmon polaritons or surface phonon polaritons. With the help of spectrally resolved…
Comprehensive characterization of nanomaterials for medical applications is a challenging and complex task due to the multitude of parameters which need to be taken into consideration in a broad range of conditions. Routine methods such as…
A nanoscale object evidenced in a non-classical state of its centre of mass will hugely extend the boundaries of quantum mechanics. To obtain a practical scheme for the same, we exploit a hitherto unexplored coupled system: an atom and a…
During the past few decades, abundant evidence for physics beyond the two standard models of particle physics and cosmology was found. Yet, we are tapping into the dark regarding our understanding of the dark sector. For more than a…
The understanding of friction at nano-scales, ruled by the regular arrangement of atoms, is surprisingly incomplete. Here we provide a unified understanding by studying the interlocking potential energy of two infinite contacting surfaces…
We analyze the effective potential for nanoparticles trapped at a fluid interface within a simple model which incorporates surface and line tensions as well as a thermal average over interface fluctuations (capillary waves). For a single…
In this paper we theoretically demonstrate the tunability of the Casimir force both in sign and magnitude between parallel plates coated with dispersive materials. We show that this force, existing between uncharged plates, can be tuned by…
Quantum fluctuations give rise to Casimir forces between two parallel conducting plates, the magnitude of which increases monotonically as the separation decreases. By introducing nanoscale gratings to the surfaces, recent advances have…
The description of hydrodynamic interactions between a particle and the surrounding liquid, down to the nanometer scale, is of primary importance since confined liquids are ubiquitous in many natural and technological situations. In this…
The coupling between corrugated surfaces due to the lateral Casimir force is employed to propose a nanoscale mechanical device composed of two racks and a pinion. The noncontact nature of the interaction allows for the system to be made…
Closed nonrelativistic (nonretarded) theory of conservative and dissipative electromagnetic forces and heat exchange between moving particles (nanoprobes) and a surface (flat and cylindrical) is reviewed. The formalism is based on methods…