Casimir Effect. Vacuum Fluctuations and Consequences.

Presented by Ines Cavero-Pelaez, Pierre and Marie Curie University

Vacuum fluctuations are not a theoretical concept living only in theoreticians' minds. They have observable consequences that have been measured in experiments. The classical concept of the vacuum as empty space cannot be maintained in the quantum world. There, the vacuum is a busy place where fields and particles dance so harmoniously that a melody arises that can be heard in our common world. We refer to the Casimir effect as the macroscopic manifestation of the vacuum fluctuations. The Casimir effect is gaining relevance in a high number of areas as diverse as cosmology, quantum field theory, solid state physics, new materials, biology, nanotechnology... In this talk the emphasis is on the physics of the Casimir effect, however some applications and manifestations are also discussed. I aim to introduce the Casimir force and its dependence upon external conditions such as the geometry, properties of the material, or boundaries. I will discuss examples of specific cases where the geometry plays an important role. Finally I will give an example of how the tendency to miniaturize everything makes the Casimir effect the prominent interaction in nanomechanics and nanotechnology.