Casimir force on real materials - the slab and cavity geometry

We analyse the potential of the geometry of a slab in a planar cavity for the purpose of Casimir force experiments. The force and its dependence on temperature, material properties and finite slab thickness are investigated both analytically and numerically for slab and walls made of aluminium and teflon FEP respectively. We conclude that such a setup is ideal for measurements of the temperature dependence of the Casimir force. By numerical calculation it is shown that temperature effects are dramatically larger for dielectrics, suggesting that a dielectric such as teflon FEP whose properties vary little within a moderate temperature range, should be considered for experimental purposes. We finally discuss the subtle but fundamental matter of the various Green’s two-point function approaches present in the literature and show how they are different formulations describing the same phenomenon. PACS numbers: 05.30.-d,12.20.Ds, 32.80.Lg, 41.20.Jb, 42.50.Nn ‡ Permanent Address: Department of War Studies, King’s College London, Strand, London WC2R 2LS, UK Casimir force on slab in cavity 2