Measurement of the Casimir effect under ultrahigh vacuum: Calibration method

Abstract

In this article, the authors present a strategy to measure the Casimir effect with an atomic force microscopy in an ultrahigh vacuum system. The key parameters including the absolute distance, the contact potential difference, and the calibration factor of the probe are determined by electrostatic interaction without contact. The strategy has been developed with the main purpose of performing a reliable relative measurement, that is, comparison of the Casimir force between different surfaces. As an example of the method, the authors estimate the accuracy and the precision of measurements performed on a Au sample.