Short-range force detection using optically-cooled levitated microspheres
Jun, 2010Citations per year
Abstract: (arXiv)
We propose an experiment using optically trapped and cooled dielectric microspheres for the detection of short-range forces. The center-of-mass motion of a microsphere trapped in vacuum can experience extremely low dissipation and quality factors of , leading to yoctonewton force sensitivity. Trapping the sphere in an optical field enables positioning at less than 1 m from a surface, a regime where exotic new forces may exist. We expect that the proposed system could advance the search for non-Newtonian gravity forces via an enhanced sensitivity of over current experiments at the 1 m length scale. Moreover, our system may be useful for characterizing other short-range physics such as Casimir forces.Note:
- 4 pages, 3 figures, minor changes, Figs. 1 and 2 replaced
- 04.80.Cc
- 07.10.Pz
- 42.50.Pq
- force: short-range
- force: Casimir
- sphere
- dielectric
- dissipation
- vacuum state
- cavity: optical
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