Casimir force in a water nanolayer confined by graphene sheets

Abstract:Casimir forces, arising from quantum and thermal fluctuations, depend strongly on the electromagnetic susceptibilities of the interacting materials. Here, we theoretically investigate the Casimir force between two graphene sheets separated by a nanometer-thin layer of liquid water. We find that, at thicknesses up to 3.4 nm, the confinement reduces the Casimir force by up to 26 % compared to the bulk case. At larger thicknesses, the bulk model underestimates the Casimir force by up to 42 % due to the interface effect. This effect does not decrease monotonically as a function of the layer thickness: it increases up to a maximum at 70 nm and it slowly declines to the bulk limit only at 2 microns. We separately assess the effect of nanoscale confinement on the electronic response of graphene, which has no effect on the Casimir force.

Quantum Physics (quant-ph); Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft)

arXiv:2609.23609 [quant-ph]

(or arXiv:2609.23609v1 [quant-ph] for this version)

https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2609.23609 Focus to learn more arXiv-issued DOI via DataCite (pending registration)

arXivLabs is a framework that allows collaborators to develop and share new arXiv features directly on our website.

Both individuals and organizations that work with arXivLabs have embraced and accepted our values of openness, community, excellence, and user data privacy. arXiv is committed to these values and only works with partners that adhere to them.

Have an idea for a project that will add value for arXiv's community? Learn more about arXivLabs.